Helena Devereux (February 2, 1885 - November 17, 1975) was an educator known for her work with mentally and emotionally handicapped children and for founding the Devereux Foundation.
As a public school teacher in Philadelphia from 1906 to 1912, Helena Devereux developed skills with slow-learning children that led to referral of such children from other classrooms to hers. Devereux was interested in the problems these children faced and in developing methods to help them realize their full potential. She promoted a philosophy of encouragement, acceptance, participation, and the nurturing of self respect through achievemment. As recognition of her accomplishments spread, children from outside Philadelphia were sent to join her class and to live at her parent's home.
In 1912 Devereux opened her first residential school in Devon, Pennsylvania, with three students who had been living with her family. The school became known for its multi-disciplinary approach and its success in treating mentally and emotionally handicapped children. In 1940 the school changed from private ownership to nonprofit status as the Devereux Foundation.[1] In 1945, with a handful of Pennsylvania students, Devereux opened its first California campus in Santa Barbara on the land that would later become the site of Westmont College. In 1946 Devereux purchased the entire 500 acre (2 km²) Campbell Ranch[2] for about $100,000. The Devereux Ranch School had many characteristics of a conventional boarding school. Today, Devereux is a comprehensive treatment center for handicapped people.