Profiles of Historical Figures

by FamilyEducation Staff

Here's a list of some of the great leaders of our time, whose remarkable communication skills scored them a place in the history books. Each leader lived with a disability. Their unique combination of intelligences--strengths as well as weaknesses--made them such successful people.

George Washington
First president of the U.S. As a child, he was a very poor student who was probably dyslexic. Young George ignored his brother's suggestion he become a land surveyor and pursued a military and political career instead.

Nelson Rockefeller
Grandson of tycoon John D. Rockefeller, Nelson served as vice president under President Gerald Ford. This four-term governor of New York suffered from learning disabilities.

Winston Churchill
This brilliant soldier, statesman, and British prime minister is believed to have suffered from ADD and Bipolar Disorder.

Harry Stack Sullivan
An American psychiatrist renowned for his work on schizophrenia. Sullivan's struggles with his own behavioral disorders may have contributed to his insights as a psychiatrist.

Franklin Roosevelt
This former president who led America throughout the Depression and WWII coined the phrase:"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." He was a polio survivor who used a wheelchair during his four terms in the White House.

Harry Truman
President Truman's feisty personality gained him popularity and respect as a world leader who helped lead the Allies to victory in WWII. He had severe problems with his vision.

What do your kids think?
Ask your kids if they can think of any famous people who have high interpersonal intelligence. Start them off with a few familiar names:

Bill Clinton

Brought to you by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)

Source: Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom by Thomas Armstrong (ASCD 1994)

More on: Cognitive and Psychological Development

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