Laurent Clerc , born Louis Laurent Marie Clerc , ( December 26 , 1785 in France - July 18 , 1869 ) co-founded the first school for the deaf ( people who can not hear ) in the United States . Laurent Clerc ( 26 December 1785 â `` 18 July 1869 ) , born Louis Laurent Marie Clerc , was called `` The Apostle of the deaf in America '' by generations of American deaf people .