Marie Jean Philip was born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1953. She attended the American School for the Deaf in West Hartford, Connecticut. She then pursued higher education at Gallaudet College. After graduation, Marie worked for Northeastern University as one of the first Deaf teachers. She went on to receive a BA degree in Linguistics at Northeastern. Marie became the Bilingual-Bicultural Coordinator at The Learning Center for the Deaf in Framingham, Massachusetts. She was one of the original people to research, study and establish ASL as a recognized Language. She was internationally known for advocating for ASL and Deaf Culture. Marie Passed away unexpectedly in 1997.*