Background
Russ, John Denison was born on September 1, 1801 in Essex, Massachusetts, United States. Son of Doctor Parker and Elizabeth (Cogswell) Russ.
penologist physician educator of the blind
Russ, John Denison was born on September 1, 1801 in Essex, Massachusetts, United States. Son of Doctor Parker and Elizabeth (Cogswell) Russ.
Graduated from Yale, 1823, Doctor of Medicine 1825.
Began practice medicine, New York City, 1826. Sailed for Greece in charge of a shipload of food sent by American sympathizers, 1827, remained until 1830 as distributor of food, organizer of hospitals. With Doctor Samuel Akerly and Samuel Wood established a school called New York Institution for the Blind, opened 1832, teacher, business manager, 1832-1835.
An organizer Prison Association of New York, 1843-1853, secretary, 1845-1853, also its investigator of conditions in city and state prisons. A corporator New Jersey Juvenile Asylum (now Children’s Village of Dobbs Ferry), 1851, superintendent, 1853-1858. Invented the phonetic alphabet.
Home: Pompton, New Jersey.
Married Eliza Phipps Jenkins, 1830. Married second, Elsie Birdsell, 1872.