Polly Thomson

Polly Thomson. She was a Scottish-born companion and secretary who became an integral part of the life of the renowned author and activist Helen Keller. Joining the household in 1914, she initially assisted Keller's primary companion, Anne Sullivan, before assuming full responsibility for Keller's complex schedule and international travels following Sullivan's death. Thomson's decades of dedicated service enabled Keller's prolific work in lecturing, fundraising, and advocacy for the American Foundation for the Blind and other humanitarian causes.

Early life and education

Born in the city of Glasgow, she immigrated to the United States as a young woman, settling in the state of Massachusetts. Details of her formal education are not extensively documented, but she developed strong secretarial and organizational skills. Before her pivotal employment with Helen Keller, she worked in domestic roles, which prepared her for the demanding responsibilities of managing a high-profile household. Her background provided a practical foundation that proved essential for the unique challenges she would later face alongside one of the world's most famous women.

Career with Helen Keller

Thomson was hired in 1914 to assist the increasingly frail Anne Sullivan, Keller's teacher and lifelong companion, in managing the extensive correspondence and logistical demands generated by Keller's growing public role. She quickly became indispensable, learning the manual fingerspelling alphabet to communicate directly with Keller and taking on duties that included scheduling, travel arrangements, and correspondence with figures like Mark Twain, Alexander Graham Bell, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Following Sullivan's death in 1936, Thomson seamlessly assumed the role of Keller's primary companion, interpreter, and gatekeeper, facilitating her global travels to over 35 countries, including Japan, India, and across Europe. She played a crucial role during Keller's work for the American Foundation for the Blind, her advocacy tours during World War II to support soldiers, and her later visits to wounded veterans during the Korean War. Thomson's steady presence allowed Keller to maintain an exhausting schedule of public appearances, fundraising, and writing, including work on Keller's later books and essays.

Later life and legacy

After suffering a severe stroke in 1957 that left her unable to speak, Thomson's own health declined, yet she remained with Keller until her death at their home in Forest Hills, New York City. Her passing marked the end of an era for Keller, who then relied on a succession of other companions. Thomson's legacy is intrinsically tied to enabling the later, international phase of Keller's activism, ensuring the deaf-blind woman's voice reached a global audience. While often in the background, her contribution was recognized by institutions like the *The New York Times* in its obituary and is acknowledged in biographies of Keller, such as those by Joseph P. Lash and Dorothy Herrmann. Her papers and effects are held within the extensive Helen Keller Archives at the American Foundation for the Blind.

Personal life

Thomson dedicated her life almost entirely to her work with Helen Keller, with the two sharing homes in Forest Hills and later in Arcan Ridge, Easton, Connecticut. She never married and had no children, considering her role with Keller to be her life's work. Outside of her duties, she was known to enjoy gardening and was a devoted caretaker for the household's pets, including Keller's famous dogs. Her relationship with Keller was one of deep mutual dependence and professional devotion, forming the third part of a remarkable triad that began with Anne Sullivan.

Category:American secretaries Category:Companions of Helen Keller Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:1885 births Category:1960 deaths