Roxie Johnson was a speech therapist who served special needs children and adults. Working at schools and hospitals in the 1970s, she saw the need for a set of picture symbols that people with limited or no speech could use for communication.
Roxie developed a book called The Picture Communication Symbols (PCS) that included 700 picture symbols. She gave the symbols thick lines so they could be photocopied to support multiple users.
In 1980, Roxie and her husband Terry Johnson, a former special education teacher, started the Mayer-Johnson company. They printed 100 copies of the book along with an advertising mailer, which they sent to 300 potential customers.
In 1985 Mayer-Johnson printed a second book of symbols and added many coordinating special education products to its catalog. Terry became more and more involved, and eventually began running the company. He inspired the well-loved Mayer-Johnson “silly man” logo.