Final answer:
Gallaudet University has the distinction of being the first institution to confer college degrees to deaf individuals, founded by Dr. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first institution to confer college degrees to deaf individuals is Gallaudet University. Gallaudet University was founded by Dr. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, and it is renowned for being the first institution of higher education for the deaf. The reference to Dr. Gallaudet, alongside the student Alice Cogswell in the bronze memorial statue, highlights the revolutionary educational methods he introduced for deaf individuals by using sign language. This was indeed a milestone in education that the university, named in his honor, continues to build upon today.