American actress and pioneer Louise Tracy, also known as Louise Ten Broeck Treadwell, rose to fame when she established “The John Tracy Clinic” in Los Angeles, California. She was also Spencer Tracy’s (the Oscar-winning actor) wife. Her clinic’s work with children who have hearing loss is what made her famous in the United States. The personal tragedy of John Tracy, the founder, who was born deaf, inspired the idea for the clinic. Throughout her life, she received multiple honors for her achievements, including the Sixth Annual Award of the Save the Children Foundation and the Hearing Advancement Award from the Lions Club Hearing Foundation. In the United States, she also served on the “National Advisory Council on Vocational Rehabilitation.” Everyone was in admiration of Louise. Spencer’s own statement, “…there’s nothing I’ve ever done that can match what Louise has done for deaf children and their parents,” may be the greatest way to summarize her life.
Fame & Career of Louise Tracy
Following his academic success as an honors graduate from Painesville, Ohio’s Lake Erie College, Louis Treadwell began to pursue acting professionally. She began her career as a theatrical actress and received her first significant break in March 1923. In White Plains, New York, Leonard Wood Players signed her as a leading actress. Her career was taking off at the same time that she happened to meet actor Spencer Tracy on a train. Their immediate chemistry and Spencer’s charisma made them fall in love, and in 1923 they were married. Louise Tracy became her formal name.
On June 26, 1924, the couple welcomed John into the world. John was found to be deaf. Her encounter with a deaf woman who could lip read and talk in 1926 gave her more motivation to assist John. John saw a different doctor with Louise, and this one determined that he could still learn to lip read and speak. Hopeful, Louise put all of her energy into teaching John. Three years later, in 1927, John pronounced his first word, “Mama,” and was accepted into New York City’s “Wright Oral School” for the Deaf.
Her marriage to Spencer Tracy was already starting to fall apart because of his multiple extramarital encounters with other actresses. Despite all of her personal turmoil, Louise Tracy went on to become a specialist in the education of kids with hearing impairments. She also became active with groups that raise money and awareness for children who are deaf. Other parents asked her to assist them when she gave a speech in 1942 at the University of Southern California on her experiences of raising and schooling a deaf child.
Eventually, this resulted in the establishment of “The John Tracy Clinic,” a free nonprofit organization that assists parents and kids. Many of the clinic’s fundamental principles were founded by Louise, who served as its director. Over his lifetime, Spencer Tracy gave the clinic more than half a million dollars in donations. Despite stepping down from the Directorship in October 1974 owing to deteriorating health, she was honored with multiple medals and recognitions for her work until her passing in 1983.
Honors & Accolades of Louise Tracy
The “Testimonial of Merit/Woman of the Year” honor was given to Louise Tracy by “La Sertoma International” in 1953. In addition to being awarded honorary degrees by Northwestern University, Lake Erie College, and other institutions, she also received a Doctor of Letters degree from Gallaudet College in 1966. Additionally, Louise was awarded “Doctor of Humane Letters” degrees by Rippon College (1976) and Whitworth College (1974).
Louise Tracy joined the “Neurological and Sensory Disease Advisory Committee” of the “HEW” in 1963, and she was named to the “National Advisory Board” of the “NTID” in the United States in 1965. She was appointed to the “National Advisory Council on Vocational Rehabilitation” for a four-year term that same year. Her membership in the “President’s Task Force on the Physically Handicapped” dates back to 1969. Louise also received the 1977 Humanitarian Award from AMVETS and the 1974 Award of Honor in Otolaryngology prior to her passing.
Individual Life of Louise Tracy
On July 31, 1897, in New Castle, Pennsylvania, USA, Louise Tracy was born Louise Ten Broeck Treadwell to parents Alliene Wetmore Treadwell and Bright Treadwell. Actor Spencer Tracy was her husband from September 12, 1923, until his passing on June 10, 1967. They were apart for most of their marriage, yet never divorced. John, the first son of the couple, was born on June 26, 1924, and he died on June 17, 2007. On July 1, 1932, Susie Tracy, their daughter, was born. The date of Louise Tracy’s passing was November 13, 1983.
Net Worth of Louise Tracy
The estimated net worth of Louise Tracy is about $1 million.