Dr. Samuel Kirk was a pioneer in special education during the twentieth century. Kirk was the founding director of the Institute for Research on Exceptional Children at the University of Illinois and served as the director of the Federal Office of Education’s Division of Handicapped Children in 1963 and 1964. Kirk coined and defined the term “learning disabilities” in a 1963 speech delivered at an education conference. Kirk died in 1996 at the age of 92.
Reference:
Thomas, R.M. (1996, July 28). Samuel A. Kirk, 92, Pioneer of Special Education Field. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1996/07/28/us/samuel-a-kirk-92-pioneer-of-special-education-field.html.