Arthur Henley Keller was born on February 5, 1836, in Tuscumbia, Colbert County, Alabama, and is best remembered as the father of the renowned deaf-blind writer and social activist Helen Keller. In relation to his military service, Keller had an important identity in his own right. He served as an officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and afterward held a dignified position within Alabama’s state militia.
Keller was born into a prominent Southern family in Alabama, where most of his life was spent. The perpetuation of his legacy, largely, is through the successes of his daughter, but his life can be seen to hold much more than that of Helen Keller’s father. His career in the Confederate military and subsequent prestigious commission with the Alabama State Troops fill in more layers of his story than the amount it took to describe his commitment to his state and country during turbulent times.
Arthur H. Keller died on August 29, 1896, in his hometown of Tuscumbia, Alabama, at 60 years old. He was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Tuscumbia, Colbert County, Alabama.
Military Service: Confederate Army Officer
Arthur H. Keller served in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War. He had reached the rank of Captain, given on his Confederate headstone-a symbol and dedication to the Southern cause. Although records of those times are limited, his service during the Civil War is nevertheless quite well documented, testifying to his participation in the defense of the Confederacy during one of the most precarious moments in American history.
The Civil War finally came to a close in 1865, but Keller’s military career did not end at this point. His status within the circles of Alabama’s local military persisted for well after the war.
Children
Helen Keller was born on 27th June 1880 in Tuscumbia Alabama and was an American author, disability rights advocate, and political activist. At age 19 months, Keller became blind and deaf as a result of an illness, but her life changed dramatically when Anne Sullivan began teaching her in 1887. Keller’s father, Arthur H. Keller, had been a captain in the Confederate Army and was an editor for the Tuscumbia North Alabamian. Keller learned fingerspelling and went on to become the first deafblind person in the U.S. to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree, which she did when she graduated from Radcliffe College in 1904. Keller penned 14 books and various essays teaching people about people with disabilities, women’s suffrage, labor rights, and socialism. This trailblazer for disability rights left a lasting impact on the world through her continued activism and achievements against all the odds.
Military Role in Post-Civil War Alabama State Troops
In 1883, Arthur H. Keller was commissioned a Lieutenant Colonel of Cavalry in the Alabama State Troops. This commission regarded his high standing within the Alabama militia and his continued commitment to service, even after the Civil War. To this end, he was appointed as Aide-de-Camp on the personal military staff of Governor Edward A. O’Neal of Alabama.
His commission as Aide-de-Camp to Governor Seay was publicly announced in the issue of The Greenville Advocate, a local newspaper in Greenville, Alabama, dated March 28th, 1883. This position of Aide-de-Camp was considered an extremely honorary title, and it included serving in an advisory capacity with the governor in military matters, also being one to represent the governor in stated functions and ceremonies.
Later Years and Legacy
Arthur H. Keller lived his later years in Tuscumbia, where he was active in his community. His fortune is inextricably tied up in his daughter Helen Keller’s success, since he and his wife Kate Adams Keller arranged for Anne Sullivan to come in and teach Helen, becoming lifelong teacher and companion to the girl. As much as Helen Keller would later attain great fame, Arthur H. Keller himself secured several accomplishments and rendered valuable service during his lifetime, especially given the 19th-century South.
Although there is no substantial documentation regarding Arthur H. Keller’s personal net worth, his family was known to be moderately well off given the estate that they had in Alabama. The Kellers belonged to the upper echelons of the Southern families because through this particular status, the services of a tutor like Anne Sullivan were afforded for Helen’s education. With some of the figures of the exact wealth he had, it would not be difficult to reach the conclusion that Arthur H. Keller was well off and could provide for whatever the needs of his family might be, especially in post-war Alabama.
Final Resting Place
Arthur Keller died on August 29, 1896, and was interred in the Oakwood Cemetery of his hometown of Tuscumbia, Alabama. The cemetery hosts a number of Alabama’s more famous figures from the past, including Keller. His gravestone bears his rank as Captain during his time in service to the Confederate States Army, and his memory remains as part of the accomplishments of his family and those he held dear to his state.
Conclusion
Arthur H. Keller lived a life of service to his country and devotion to his family. His serving in the Confederate States Army and later in the Alabama State Troops showed his commitment to military service, while his interest in Helen Keller’s education and development manifested his loving and caring attitude as a father. Though remembered most often as the sire of Helen, Arthur Keller is a story of commitment first to the state then to his family, and of the lasting impact on those who knew him and the legacy of one of America’s most inspiring figures.