Final answer:
Laurent Clerc inspired Thomas Gallaudet to open the first school for the Deaf in America, highlighting new educational methods via sign language.
Step-by-step explanation:
The person who inspired Thomas Gallaudet to open the first school for the Deaf in America was Laurent Clerc. Laurent Clerc was a deaf educator from France who came to America and worked with Thomas Gallaudet to establish the school. They founded the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut in 1817.
Gallaudet met Clerc, a French educator, and together they founded the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut. The memorial statue of Dr. Gallaudet with Alice Cogswell emphasizes his role in developing new educational methods using sign language, which allowed deaf individuals to receive an education tailored to their needs.