Electa Matilda Ziegler

Electa Matilda Ziegler (, Curtis; after first marriage, Gamble; after second marriage, Ziegler; April 13, 1841 – September 1, 1932) was an American philanthropist who founded the Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind.

Early life Electa Matilda Curtis was born in Schuylerville, New York, the daughter of Henry D. and Electa Abel Curtis.

Career After her second husband's death in 1905, Ziegler commanded a significant fortune. She took an interest in the education of blind students because of her son, Charles, who was blinded in an accident as a child. In 1907, she established a monthly magazine known as the Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind, which was printed in braille and other raised-print (embossed) systems. Edited by Walter G. Holmes, the Ziegler offered 48 pages of fiction, scientific articles, current events, instruction in handiwork, and occasionally raised maps. Through the generosity of Ziegler, it was furnished without charge, and by a special provision of the U. S. Congress, it was sent free to every blind person in the United States or Canada who could read braille. and a son, William Ziegler Jr. (1891-1958), who became president of the American Foundation for the Blind. The E. Matilda Ziegler Foundation for the Blind continues her work by funding research on blindness and eye disease; the magazine ceased hard-copy and audio publication in 2009.