Preserving the Past by Kim Nelson

Kim Nelson is the executive director of the Freeborn County Historical Museum, Library and Village.

Recently, Travis Drescher presented a lecture series at the museum on “Rosemary Kennedy’s — A Life with a Lasting Legacy for those with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.” His presentation prompted me to look at Freeborn County’s strong connection to this topic.

In September 1950 Florence Marie Hansen Adair delivered a speech to Kiwanians about her child with Down Syndrome who had been denied public education. In her speech, she talked about her son truly not having any place to go if he was denied public education. She went on to speak about the need for a place for children like him. She outlined that children with disabilities still enjoy the same things as “normal” children, but in most cases are just not able to keep up in the areas of reading, writing and arithmetic. She also noted they shouldn’t be expected to either.

Five months after her speech — under sponsorship of the Kiwanis and 24 years before special education became a federal mandate — a private school call the Alpha Class began in Albert Lea.

Florence continued to be an advocate for special education programs as the community saw expansion in services over the years.

Florence’s entire speech and picture are displayed at the museum for all to see.

Please consider checking out this display along with the many other displays at the museum. We are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Memberships are available as well as daily admissions.

Kim Nelson is the executive director of the Freeborn County Historical Museum, Library and Village.