Harold Krents
Harold Krents was a notable figure born in 1944 in New York City, who overcame the challenges of being born blind to achieve significant academic and professional success. He graduated cum laude from Harvard University in 1967 and earned a law degree there in 1970. Krents was admitted to the New York Bar Association in 1971 and worked as a partner in a law firm in Washington, D.C., focusing on expanding legal protections and rights for individuals with disabilities. His life story has been widely recognized, inspiring playwright Leonard Gershe to create the Broadway play "Butterflies Are Free" and leading to the publication of Krents's autobiography, "To Race the Wind," which was adapted into a successful television movie. Throughout his legal career, Krents was actively involved in multiple committees and organizations advocating for the rights of disabled individuals, including the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped and Mainstream Incorporated. He practiced law until 1986 and passed away in 1987 due to a brain tumor. Krents’s contributions continue to resonate, highlighting the importance of disability rights and advocacy.
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Harold Krents
Writer
- Born: November 5, 1944
- Birthplace: New York, New York
- Died: January 12, 1987
- Place of death: New York, New York
Biography
Harold Krents was born in 1944. He was born and raised in New York City. Krents graduated from Harvard University cum laude in 1967. He also earned a law degree at Harvard University in 1970. Krents is also known to have studied at Oxford University for a time. Among his accomplishments, Krents was admitted to the New York Bar Association in 1971, and worked as a partner in a law firm in Washington, D.C. What makes him different from most other accomplished law students is that Krents was born blind.
Krents’s life story served as an inspiration to many people. It also inspired Leonard Gershe to write his Broadway play Butterflies Are Free. Krent’s 1972 autobiography To Race the Wind inspired even more people and was made into a rather successful television movie.
To Race the Wind was Krents’s only exploration into the literary world. He spent most of his time practicing law. Krents worked specifically trying to expand the legal protection and rights of the disabled. Krents successfully practiced law from 1971 to 1986. A year later, in 1987, Krents died from a brain tumor.
During his lifetime, Krents worked on numerous comities and with organizations for the rights of the disabled, including the President’s Committee on Employment of the Handicapped and the Vera Institute of Justice. He was also known for helping establish Mainstream Incorporated, a legal organization that works with and for the disabled.