image creditHelen Keller (1880 - 1968) was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Starting in Keller's teenage years, vaudeville promoters came calling. Helen's teacher, Anne Sullivan, always urched Keller to politely decline, explaining that she made her living writing books and giving formal lectures -not by appearing in front of rowdy crowds.
But in 1919 Keller convinced Sullivan to let her take the job. The pros just outweighed the cons. For one, Keller's two previous books hadn't sold well and because they had to travel to a new town for each lecture, the daily schedule was becoming too hectic for Sullivan, whose eyesight and health were growing worse. Doing vaudeville shows would allow them to stay in the same town for a week at a time, rather than traveling nearly every day.
