Charles Michael Higgins (October 4, 1854 – October 21, 1929)[3] was an Irish-American ink manufacturer and anti-vaccinationist.
Charles Michael Higgins | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | October 4, 1854 |
| Died | October 21, 1929 (aged 75) |
| Occupation(s) | Ink manufacturer, writer |
Biography
Higgins was born in County Leitrim, Ireland.[1] He moved to Brooklyn at the age of six. Higgins was the inventor of Higgins American India Ink.[1] He operated the Charles M. Higgins Company to manufacture the drawing ink he invented.[1]
Higgins married Alexandra Fransioli in 1899 and they had three children.[1] He was a founding member of the Kings County Historical Society.[1] He opposed vaccination and was also an anti-vivisectionist.[4]
Anti-Vaccination League of America
Higgins was the co-founder and treasurer of the Anti-Vaccination League of America. The League was created in 1908 by Higgins and industrialistJohn Pitcairn.[5] Its anti-vaccination campaigns focused on New York and Pennsylvania.[5] Members were opposed to compulsory vaccination laws.[6] Higgins was the League's chief spokesman and pamphleteer.[7] Historian James Colgrove noted that Higgins "attempted to overturn the New York State's law mandating vaccination of students in public schools."[6] The League should not be confused with the Anti-Vaccination Society of America, that was formed in 1879.[5]
Higgins was criticized by medical experts for spreading misinformation and ignoring facts as to the efficacy of vaccination.[8][9] The League dissolved after the death of Higgins in 1929.[10]