From the New Hampshire Society for Crippled Children to Easterseals
When Dr. Ezra Jones returned from treating injured soldiers after World War I, he recognized a need much closer to home.
As New Hampshire’s first orthopedic surgeon, Jones saw that children with disabilities across the state had few options for rehabilitation and support. Determined to change that, he partnered with businessman Harry Alan Gregg to establish the New Hampshire Society for Crippled Children, which officially opened on June 29, 1936, in Nashua.
Ninety years later, that small organization has grown into Easterseals NH, now based in Manchester and serving more than 14,500 children, adults, seniors, and Veterans of all abilities each year across the state.
“It’s remarkable to look back at how one person’s vision grew into an organization that has touched so many lives,” said Maureen Beauregard, who has served as president and CEO of Easterseals NH since 2019. “While our programs have changed over the decades, our mission has always been to respond to the needs of the people and communities we serve.”
In its earliest years, the Society focused on bringing rehabilitation services directly to children through mobile clinics that traveled throughout New Hampshire. At a time when specialized care was difficult to access, the clinics helped connect families with treatment while also raising awareness about the needs of children with disabilities.
Jones and Gregg also became strong advocates for improving services statewide, helping build public support for expanded care and more inclusive policies.
The organization’s early growth led to an ambitious fundraising effort to help establish a rehabilitation hospital atop Crotched Mountain in Greenfield. The facility opened in 1953 and became nationally recognized for rehabilitation medicine before the organizations separated in 1967.
The New Hampshire Society for Crippled Children adopted the Easterseals name in 1967 following the success of the national Easterseals fundraising campaign. The decorative seals, similar to postage stamps, were commonly placed on holiday cards and letters to raise awareness and support for the organization’s work.
In the decades that followed, the organization expanded beyond orthopedic rehabilitation to develop programs that reflected a changing understanding of disability and human services. It launched some of New Hampshire’s earliest early intervention and preschool programs for children with disabilities, created classrooms that helped students transition into public schools, and introduced specialized services for children with autism and other developmental differences.
Residential services for children with behavioral health needs, workforce development programs, transportation, senior services, and Veterans’ services all grew as the organization continued to respond to the changing needs of New Hampshire communities.
That commitment to evolving continues today. In early 2027, Easterseals NH plans to open the Technology Hill Early Learning Center in Londonderry, expanding access to high-quality, inclusive early childhood education while helping children ages 6 weeks to 5 years build strong social-emotional foundations.
As the organization celebrates its 90th anniversary, its history reflects the same philosophy that shaped the organization in 1936 — identifying unmet needs and creating solutions.
For more details on Easterseals NH, visit eastersealsnh.org.
About Easterseals New Hampshire
Since 1936, Easterseals New Hampshire has provided exceptional services to ensure that all people with varied abilities and their families have equal opportunities to live, learn, work, and play in their communities. A leader in social services for individuals with disabilities and those underserved by traditional programs, Easterseals NH provides essential services and supports to approximately 14,500 children, adults, seniors, and Veterans annually. Their programs cover areas like early intervention, autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, adult day and in-home care, behavioral health, housing, and substance use disorders. Easterseals NH is a community of care for all ages, for all abilities, for life.
For more information, visit eastersealsnh.org or follow them @EastersealsNH on Facebook.
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