ABSTRACT
The town of Killingly, which consists of the borough of Danielson and several surrounding villages, is located in the northeast corner of Connecticut. Although the town was founded nearly three centuries ago, beginning in 1835 with the birth of Dr. William Torrey Harris in North Killingly, this area of Connecticut has possessed a curious connection to American educational leaders and to the fi eld of gifted education. As superintendent of St. Louis Public Schools, Dr. Harris established some of the fi rst systematic programming for gifted children and also the fi rst permanent kindergarten in America. In 1889, Harris was appointed U.S. Commissioner of Education. Originally appointed by President Benjamin Harrison, his term lasted for 17 years under three additional presidential administrations with the last being President Theodore Roosevelt (Coolidge, 1997). Approximately 30 miles to the west is the University of Connecticut, which has housed the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented (NRC/GT) since 1990.
