Story
Meet Pete Woodward
The Rev. Brinton “Pete” W. Woodward, Jr. is both a parent of a Perkins graduate and a current member of the Perkins Corporation. He has been a generous supporter and active volunteer since his son, Brinton “Brint” W. Woodward III, started school at Perkins in 1987.
The Rev. Brinton “Pete” W. Woodward, Jr. is both a parent of a Perkins graduate and a current member of the Perkins Corporation. He has been a generous supporter and active volunteer since his son, Brinton “Brint” W. Woodward III, started school at Perkins in 1987. In 2020, they donated a letter sent from Helen Keller to Brint’s great-grandmother to the Perkins Archives.
How did Brint benefit and grow during his years on campus?
Pete: We looked to Perkins to help with the skills Brint would need for independence in his life, like mobility, braille literacy and job training. Perkins fulfilled our hopes and expectations in those areas and created even more opportunities for him to learn and excel in extracurricular activities like theater, chorus, handbells and swimming, all while making friendships with students and faculty. Today, Brint is happy, productively employed, active and skilled, thanks in good measure to all Perkins taught and provided him.
You support Perkins with a gift annually. Why have you also chosen to include Perkins as part of your estate planning?
Perkins has a special place in my heart because of all that it did for my son, who had enormous educational needs and challenges. My heart is grateful, and my philanthropy follows my heart.
Given your generous commitment to support Perkins for the long term, what are your hopes for Perkins’ future?
I hope that Perkins remains flexible in defining its mission as educational needs and the world changes, and that we remain on the forefront of technology for the visually impaired and the multi, differently abled.
