Today in Deaf History: Julius Wiggins passed away in the year 2001.

Julius Wiggins was the creator of the first newspaper for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, The Silent News.

Born in Toronto, Canada, and attending the Bellville School for the Deaf in Ontario, Wiggins later transferred to a vocational school for tailoring. At age 20, he moved to Manhattan to further his skills in fur and the fur business and was very successful until the fur industry plummeted leaving him unemployed. Afterwards, he worked for a postal office. His career path changed on a family trip. On the family vacation, he saw a sign that said, “Who, What, Where, and Why.” That inspired him with ideas for the future of the deaf community. He was able to get 10 of his closest deaf friends together to organize and fund a paper company geared towards the deaf and hard of hearing community that would soon be known as Silent News. Each invested $250.00 into the company. Soon after, Silent News was born in January 1969. Each issue was 15 cents. His family played a vital role in the production of the newspaper in the first year. The headquarters for the newspaper were in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. Wiggins held a huge role in connecting the deaf community and allowing them to be aware of upcoming events and news. The newspaper brought national and international news, latest technology, health and sports, and stories about successful and up in coming deaf people. Later he wrote an autobiography called No Sound, published in 1972, which recounted in depth about many hardships he encountered with hearing individuals and the oppression he felt throughout his life (Trudy). Silent News has left an everlasting footprint for the future of the deaf community. In the 1990s due to his failing health the newspaper was sold to Adele Wiggins. Soon after he died in October 13, 2001.

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Julius Wiggins