| Stuttering Foundation: A Nonprofit Organization Helping Those Who Stutter

Philip Larkin

This letter appeared in the New York Times on Dec. 21, 2014: As the president of the Stuttering Foundation, I was amazed at the omission, in the Nov. 23 review of James Booth’s “Philip Larkin: Life, Art and Love,” of Larkin’s lifelong struggle with stuttering.

Fall 2014 Newsletter

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Scoring for Stuttering

The breakout star of 2014 FIFA World Cup hands down was Colombia’s sensation James Rodriguez. USA Today published a major article titled “7 Reasons James Rodriguez is the breakout star of the World Cup." What was not widely covered in the international media is that James Rodriguez is a person who stutters.

International Stuttering Awareness Day

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Marathon Golfer Raises $2,600

For the third year, Matthew Sander supported the Stuttering Foundation by raising more than $2,600 in pledges during this year’s Hundred Hole Hike, a national golf marathon held each June at Ballyneal Golf Club in Holyoke, Colo. Matt golfed and hiked for more than 14 hours in support of the stuttering community, setting a new personal record of 126 holes.

Speak Your Beauty Inspires Generous Lessons

I graduated from Big Sky High School in Missoula, Montana, last June. Each year the graduating class is required to do a Senior Project with an activity component and a written research paper that relates to the activity field work.

91-Year-Old Encourages Others to Face Fears

Terror accompanied by waves of nausea occurred when John Gleeson was called to present his five minute speech in Basic English, 7th Grade at Jefferson Junior High School, Long Beach California. You see I am a stutterer. It was in the time of the Great Depression (nothing great about it), my family was dysfunctional, we were on welfare often, and life was very difficult.

Darren Sproles

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August 5, 2014

5 TED Talks for People Who Stutter

I don’t know about you, but I love a good TED talk. There are some brilliant minds around the world and it is inspiring to listen to people talk about something they are so passionate about.

James Rodriguez

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CELEBRITY FOCUS

Bill Walton

From BillWalton.com

Thank you for your interest in my life long problem with my speech and communication skills. I was a very shy and reserved young man who could not speak at all without severely stuttering until I was 28 years old. Always a success in the classroom and on the basketball court, I took refuge in the things that I did well as a youngster. A straight A student, my athletic abilities covered the deficiencies that limited my overall growth and development. The game of basketball was my religion, the gym my church. It was a convenient way of avoiding my responsibilities of developing my human relation skills.

When I was 28, a chance encounter at a social event with Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Glickman completely changed my life in so many ways that things have never been the same since, nor have they ever been better. That day, in a very brief, private conversation (one way, mind you, since I literally could not speak at the time) Marty explained, patiently and concisely, that talking, communicating was a skill not a gift or a birthright and that like any skill, whether it be sports, music, business or whatever, needed to be developed over a lifetime of hard work, discipline, organization and practice. Marty gave me some simple tips that day and then encouraged me to take those keys and apply them to methods of learning that I had received from the special teachers that I had come across in my life, particularly the 6 Hall of Fame basketball coaches that I had played for throughout my career. The beginning of my whole new life was as simple as that. No gimmicks, tricks or shortcuts. Just the realization that with some help, guidance and a lot of hard work that I too could do what seemed so easy, simple and natural to everyone else, yet seemed impossibly out of my reach and comprehension.

Lewis Carroll

The recent Disney version of Lewis Carroll’s classic, Alice in Wonderland, garnered a great deal of media hype. Even though the mainstream media has not made mention that Carroll was a person who stuttered, his family history gives credence to the discovery of the genetic link to stuttering. Carroll was born to parents who were first cousins; almost all of their eleven children, three girls and seven boys, struggled with stuttering past childhood.

King George

In November 2010, worldwide movie audiences were presented with a most interesting and unusual movie release with The King’s Speech, starring Colin Firth as King George VI and Helena Bonham Carter as his wife Elizabeth.

Unfortunately, history may have forgotten the courageous and inspiring story of Prince Albert who stuttered badly and never dreamed that he would ever be king when his older brother, King Edward VIII, abruptly abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee.

Ken Venturi

As much of the nation watches the U.S. Open Golf Championship, it is impossible not to think about our late friend Ken Venturi. Ken overcame many challenges to win the Open at Congressional in 1964 and go on to become the voice of golf for more than three decades.

However, Ken faced no bigger obstacle than stuttering. Ken Venturi was a champion to those who stutter, going out of his way to share his personal experience when consulted by a colleague, friend, or child who stutters.

Emily Blunt

Actress Emily Blunt struggled with stuttering early in her life. A teacher encouraged her to act in a school play at age 12 despite her stuttering.

Blunt’s name is prominently featured on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter.