Politicians and Blindness

 
Monday in New York, when David Paterson is sworn in, he will become the first blind governor in the United States. Wow – a blind governor. Let’s take a look at other politicians who have been blind.

State Legislature
Many state offices over the years were held by people who were blind.
 
Pennsylvania boasted two blind representatives. Matthew Anthony Dunn (1886-1942), blind from the age of 20, was in the State House. Henry E. Lanius (c. 1885-1943) became blind in 1903. He was in the State House, then Senate, in Pennsylvania.

Dayton Burleigh Smalley (1878-1968) went blind while in office. He served in the Vermont State House and Senate.

Robert D. Mahoney (b. 1921) was blind in one eye from birth and lost vision in the other in a skiing accident at 16. He was in the State House in Michigan. His wife Jennie had a fever when she was three and lost sight in one eye and was completely blind by the time she was 11. Mahoney's autobiography Living Out of Sight was published in 1995.

Michigan's second blind representative was Doug Spade, a disc jockey before being elected in 1998. When his leader dog Toby died, the legislature honored his tenure as "Representative Toby."

Robert Budd Gould (1937-1997) was blinded by diabetes in 1970. He served further west in the Montana State House.

Southern states also had some blind state representatives. Walter Boyd Brown, Sr. (1920-1998), blind in one eye, was a Congressman from South Carolina. Thomas Euclid Rains, Sr. (c. 1921-2000) was in the Alabama State House. He was in an accident as a boy and lost both eyes. Outside of politics, he was the only blind coach in the Little League baseball. He was also a noted historian, writing about the Sand Mountain area. Ellis Barkett Bodron (1923-1997), blind from childhood, was in the Mississippi State House of Representatives, and later in the State Senate.

Paul Farthing (1887-1978) was known as the blind judge. He was a Justice of the Illinois State Supreme Court, then the Chief Justice.

U.S. Congress
Some blind people held national offices:

Nehemiah Hezekiah Earll (1787-1872), blind for many years, was a U.S. Representative from New York.

Thomas Pryor Gore (1870-1949) blind after an accident as a young boy, became the first blind Senator. He was nominated for the Oklahoma legislature, withdrew because he was too young, but remained active in politics of Oklahoma and the Indian Territories when Oklahoma became a state. As a popular stump speaker, he was known as the "Blind Orator."

Thomas David Schall (1878-1935) was blinded by an exploding cigar lighter in 1907. He was in the House and later the Senate representing Minnesota. A picture of his dog Lux was used to sell dog food. Schall and Gore served in the Senate together. Melvin Joseph Maas (1898-1964) served Minnesota in the U.S. House and was presented a Carnegie Medal. He was totally blind since 1951. He was a marine in WWI and returned to active duty for WWII.

Matthew Anthony Dunn (1886-1942), blind from the age of 20, mentioned as a state legislator, was in the U.S. House for Pennsylvania.

So Paterson may be the first governor, but there have been other blind politicians since the beginning of our country's history.

As long as we are discussing blind politicians, let's not forget the current Prime Minister of our major ally the UK. Gordon Brown was kicked during a rugby match and is blind in his left eye.