Suzanne Lavaud | |
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Lavaud in 1932 on the day of her doctoral defense | |
Born | |
Died | January 14, 1996 | (aged 92)
Suzanne Lavaud (August 8, 1903 – January 14, 1996) was a French librarian. The first deaf person in France to obtain a Doctor of Letters, she is best known for her analysis of the writing of Marie Lenéru.
Lavaud was born in Puy-en-Velay, France, on August 8, 1903. Her mother was the principal of Lycée Victor Duruy and her father the principal of Lycée Charlemagne. [1] [2] Deaf from birth, Lavaud was taught by her parents how to follow conversations as a child by lipreading. [3] [4] She graduated with a masters of art in history from the Faculté d’Aix-en-Provence at the age of 22. [5]
Lavaud was the first to significantly study the work of Marie Lenéru. [6] Lenéru, a French writer and dramatist, became deaf and blind after contracting the measles as a child. [7]: 221 Lavaud orally defended the thesis for her Doctor of Letters, "Marie Lenéru, sa vie, son journal, son theatre," at the Sorbonne on January 8, 1932. [3]: 94 [8] She was assisted by her mother, who repeated questions from the examiners when their movements or enunciation made lipreading a challenge. [9] [8] [4] As a speaker unable to hear her own voice, Lavaud had a unique speaking style that was commented on in news coverage about her defense. [2] Professor Félix Gaiffe noted that despite a hoarse and monotonous timber, the defense was delivered with intelligible ease. [3] While coverage in Le Temps said that she spoke clearly with a "convincing vivacity" and spoke with authority about her area of expertise. [9] Lavaud passed the defense with honorable mention and expressed a desire to work in a library when asked by journalists what she planned to do next. [4]
Following graduation, Lavaud worked as a librarian at the Sorbonne. [10] She also served as France's representative with the World Federation of the Deaf. [11] Lavaud was the third deaf woman to become a member of Société des gens de lettres, after Yvonne Pitrois and Louise Asser. [12]
She died in Nice on January 14, 1996.
Suzanne Lavaud | |
---|---|
Lavaud in 1932 on the day of her doctoral defense | |
Born | |
Died | January 14, 1996 | (aged 92)
Suzanne Lavaud (August 8, 1903 – January 14, 1996) was a French librarian. The first deaf person in France to obtain a Doctor of Letters, she is best known for her analysis of the writing of Marie Lenéru.
Lavaud was born in Puy-en-Velay, France, on August 8, 1903. Her mother was the principal of Lycée Victor Duruy and her father the principal of Lycée Charlemagne. [1] [2] Deaf from birth, Lavaud was taught by her parents how to follow conversations as a child by lipreading. [3] [4] She graduated with a masters of art in history from the Faculté d’Aix-en-Provence at the age of 22. [5]
Lavaud was the first to significantly study the work of Marie Lenéru. [6] Lenéru, a French writer and dramatist, became deaf and blind after contracting the measles as a child. [7]: 221 Lavaud orally defended the thesis for her Doctor of Letters, "Marie Lenéru, sa vie, son journal, son theatre," at the Sorbonne on January 8, 1932. [3]: 94 [8] She was assisted by her mother, who repeated questions from the examiners when their movements or enunciation made lipreading a challenge. [9] [8] [4] As a speaker unable to hear her own voice, Lavaud had a unique speaking style that was commented on in news coverage about her defense. [2] Professor Félix Gaiffe noted that despite a hoarse and monotonous timber, the defense was delivered with intelligible ease. [3] While coverage in Le Temps said that she spoke clearly with a "convincing vivacity" and spoke with authority about her area of expertise. [9] Lavaud passed the defense with honorable mention and expressed a desire to work in a library when asked by journalists what she planned to do next. [4]
Following graduation, Lavaud worked as a librarian at the Sorbonne. [10] She also served as France's representative with the World Federation of the Deaf. [11] Lavaud was the third deaf woman to become a member of Société des gens de lettres, after Yvonne Pitrois and Louise Asser. [12]
She died in Nice on January 14, 1996.