Black History Month

As Black History Month begins, I would like to share with you some important information that I obtained last year while doing some detailed research pertaining to Black inventors. Some of America’s greatest inventions came from African American inventors – but you may not know that. With the subjective portrayal of the history of the U. S. – along with a long-living bias in some people – recognition of African American invention is far from the mainstream. Sure you may be aware of a few in this inventors group, but I am sure that you (as so was I) were not aware of some of the monumental inventions offered by African American/Black/Colored/Negro or whatever designation you are most familiar with, inventors.

Before I get started with my finding, I would like to say something to those who really don’t know very much about the Black man and Black woman. Perhaps you’ve heard the claim:"Were it not for the genius and energy of African-American inventors," we might find ourselves in a world without traffic lights, peanut butter, blood banks, light bulb filaments, and a vast number of other essential things we all now take for granted but could hardly image life without. Perhaps you’ve heard another claim: "Where would this world be without the Black man and Black woman?" I’m sure that those are two claims that some people, you and I both know, would prefer not to hear or to be stated; however, they are true claims and reality. Think about this for a moment… There are many things that were invented by Black men/women that all of us have taken for granted, because we simply erase those thoughts from our minds for one reason or another, or simply were never educated as to their origin. There are many Black men and women who never patented their ideas or inventions for various reasons. Perhaps they simply didn’t know anything about getting a patent or how to go about getting one. Perhaps, and as has been previously documented, many had their ideas and/or inventions stolen from them or the process itself would not allow them to be credited with the patent or invention. The sad thing about all of this is many of the Blacks who invented something or found ways to make a job much easier or a piece of equipment work better, never got credit for their ideas or inventions. Yes… their brainchild was often patented by someone else or more accurately, simply stolen. That’s okay in some respect now because the truth is finally coming out and we finally know the real truth about those incredible Black inventors and about their inventions that we take for granted. On the other hand, this robbed Blacks of the opportunity to produce generational wealth and take their place among America's wealthy. In today’s Black History Month article, I would like to share with you a few Black inventors whose contributions the whole world continues to benefit from in one way or another. Listed below are only a few of those Black inventors and their incredible inventions.

Alexander P. Ashbourne is an early inventor who was born into slavery in Philadelphia around 1820. He invented the biscuit cutter of which he was granted a patent for his invention on November 20, 1876. He also received a patent for processing coconut oil on August 21, 1877.

Lenard C. Bailey is an African American inventor and businessman who lived in Washington D. C. in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1883, Bailey patented one of his most significant devices; a truss-and-bandage intended to support patients with lower-body hernias. The design was later adopted by the U. S. Army Medical Board, providing funding for his business ventures and future inventions. Among these were a device for moving railway trains and a speed stamper for mail, the latter being used most frequently by the U. S. Postal Service. On July 18, 1899, Bailey patented a folding bed for easy storage.

Edmond Berger was an African American inventor who invented the spark plug on 1839. Although the internal combustion engine, in which the current version of the spark plug is used, was only in the developmental stages in the mid 1800s, Mr. Edmond Berger is still given credit for the invention of the spark plug even without obtaining a patent.

Otis Boykin of Dallas, Texas was an African American Inventor who improved the pacemaker and made everyday electronic devices, such as the television and computers, more efficient and affordable. After working in electronics, Boykin developed a special interest in resistors. Resistors slow the flow of electricity, allowing a safe amount of electricity to move through a device. In 1957, he patented a "wire precision resistor" which allowed specific amounts of electric current to flow for a specific purpose. Soon after, he created a new resistor that could withstand shifts in temperature and air pressure. It was a huge breakthrough that allowed many electronic devices to be made more cheaply and more reliably than ever before. Boykin’s resistors were used in products from televisions and IBM computers to military missiles. Boykin also famously invented a control unit for the pacemaker, a device implanted in the body to help the heart beat normally. Boykin’s invention allowed the pacemaker to be more precisely regulated.

Dr. George Washington Carver is an African American botanist, agricultural scientist, inventor, educator, humanitarian, and a former slave. He developed hundreds of products from peanuts, sweet potatoes, pecans, and soybeans and his discoveries greatly improved the agricultural output and the health of Southern farmers. Carver came up with PEANUT BUTTER – and about 300 other uses for the peanut. Without him, some college students would starve! And peanut butter and jelly sandwiches would not be available for kid’s lunches. The products that Dr. Carver invented included a rubber substitute, adhesives, foodstuffs, dyes, pigments, and many other products. He promoted alternative crops to cotton and methods to prevent soil depletion. He was the most prominent Black scientist of the early 20th century. While a professor at Tuskegee Institute, Carver developed techniques to improve soils depleted by repeated planting of cotton. Carver was given credit in popular folklore for many inventions that did not come from his lab. Three patents (one for cosmetics and two for paints and stains. Carver’s works and inventions basically save the South.

Charles Richard Drew (1904-1950) was an African American medical doctor, surgeon and inventor, whose inventions have saved and will continue to save many lives. Dr. Drew set up and operated the first blood plasma bank at the Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, NY. His creation was instrumental in developing blood plasma processing, storage and transfusion therapy. The America Red Cross program wouldn’t exist today without his work. It is well known that Dr. Charles R. Drew died after being involved in an automobile accident and was refused a needed blood transfusion during that period of time, basically because he was black.

Mark Dean of Jefferson City, Tennessee was an African American computer scientist, engineer and inventor. Before flat screens and hi-definition LCD monitors were the norm, PC displays were limited to screens with no color that were tethered to computers with limited processing power. This all changed thanks to a Black computer scientist, engineer and inventor, MARK DEAN. Dean began working for IBM as a chief engineer in the early 1980s, making up a team of 12 people. He is credited with helping develop a number of landmark technologies, including the color PC monitor and the first gigahertz chip. He holds three of the company’s nine patents. He also invented the industry Standard Architecture system bus with engineer Dennis Moeller, allowing for computer plug-ins such as a disk drive and printers.

James A. Bauer is an African American inventor who invented the coin changer.

Andrew Jackson Beard was an African American inventor who was born in Alabama in 1849. He spent his first fifteen years of his life as a slave on a small farm in Alabama. A year after he was emancipated, he married and became a farmer in a small city outside of Birmingham. Andrew Beard was not just a farmer; he was a carpenter, blacksmith, railroad worker, businessman and finally an inventor. In 1881, he patented the plow, and sold the patent rights for $ 4,000 in 1884. In 1887, he patented a second plow and sold the patent rights for $ 5,200. In 1892, he filed a patent for an improvement to the rotary steam engine. A few years later, in 1897, he patented an improvement to the railroad car coupler commonly called the jenny coupler that automated this process thereby eliminating the potential for severe injury. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio in 2006 for his work on the railroad coupler design.

Alfred Benjamin is an African American who invented the stainless steel scouring pad.

Henrietta Mahim Bradberry is an African American female inventor. She was born in Franklin, KY, and lived in Chicago. She was a housewife who held two patents. The first, received in 1943, was for a bed rack attachment that allowed for the airing-out of clothes, the second, received in 1945, was for a pneumatically-operated device that allowed for the firing of torpedoes from beneath the water surface.

Marie Van Brittan Brown is an African American nurse and inventor from Queen, New York City. In 1966, at the age of 44, she came up with the brilliant idea to create a unique home surveillance device with a closed circuit television security system.

Henry Blair was the second African American inventor to receive a patent for his invention. Blair, who was born in 1807, received his first patent on October 14, 1834 for his invention of the corn seed planter. Two years later, he designed a similar device suitable for planting cotton.

Lincoln Fremont Brown is a Black inventor from Xenia, Greene County, Ohio who received a patent for his invention of the horse bridle bit, a device used when riding a horse.

Oscar E. Brown is a Black inventor from Buffalo, New York who received a U. S. patent on August 23, 1892 for inventing the horse shoe.

George Robert Carruthers was an African American inventor, physicist, engineer and space scientist. He perfected a compact and very powerful ultraviolet camera/spectrograph for NASA to use when it launched Apollo 16 in 1972. He designed it so astronauts could use it on the lunar surface, making all adjustments inside their bulky space suits. Among numerous citations and awards, in 2003, Carruthers was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He received an honorary doctorate for engineering from Michigan Technological University, and in 2013 the National Medal for Technology and invention from President Barack Obama.

George African American inventor George CookCook of Louisville, Kentuckyis an African American Inventor who in 1899 received a U. S. patent for an "Automatic Fishing Device".

Alfred L. Cralle of Kenbridge, Lunenbury County, Virginia is an African American businessman and inventor of the "Ice Cream Scoop" in 1897.

George Crum was a Native /African American chef at the Moon Lodge resort in Saratoga Spring, New York. He invented the potato chip in 1853. French fries were popular at the restaurant and one day a diner complained that the fries were too thick. Crum made a thinner batch, however the customer was still unsatisfied. Crum finally made fries that were too thin to eat with a fork, hoping to annoy the extremely fussy customer. The customer, surprisingly enough, was happy and the potato chips were invented.

Osbourn Dorsey was a freed slave and African American inventor. In 1878, at approximately 16 years of age, Osbourn invented the doorknob and doorstop. On December 10, 1878, he received his first U. S. patent for the first documented invention of the doorknob and door stop (also known as a door stopper).

Frank W. Leslie is an African American inventor who patented the envelope seal in 1891.

Maurice W. Lee is an African American inventor known for inventing the Aromatic pressure cooker (The Smokaroma).

John Lee Love is an African American inventor who is most known for his invention of the hand-cranked pencil sharpener, the Love Sharpener and improved plasterer’s hawk.

Thomas J. Marshall is an African American who was awarded a patent for creating the early fire extinguisher on March 2, 1872.

W. A. Martin is an African American inventor who patented the lock on July 21, 1889. This was an improvement over the 4000-year-old bolt invented by a Chinese. Martin’s lock consisted of a cylinder and spiral spring, coiled around a metal pin (the forerunner of modern door locks).

Jan Ernst Matzeliger was an African American Inventor whose lasting machine brought significant change to the manufacturing of shoes.

Elijah McCoy was a Canadian-born inventor and engineer of African American decent who was notable for his 57 U. S. patents, most having to do with lubrication of steam engines.

Hugh D. McDonald is an African American Inventor who invented the Rocket Catapult.

Alice H. Parker is an African American inventor known for her invention and patent of a gas heating furnace.

J. F. Pickering of Gonaives, Haiti was granted a patent for an Aircraft (Blimp).

John E. Purdy and Daniel R. Sadgwar introduced their foldable chair to the American public when the patent was issued June 11, 1889.

William B. Purvis is an African American inventor and businessman who received multiple patents in the late 1800s. His inventions included improvements on paper bags, an updated fountain pen design, improvements to the hand stamp, and a close-conduit electric railway system.

Albert C. Richardson is an African American who was one of those rare inventors who not only created numerous devices, but created devices that were completely unrelated to one another. On February 17, 1891, Richardson patented the butter churn. On November 13, 1894, he patented the casket lowing device. This invention was very significant at that time and is used in all cemeteries today. In addition to these devices, Richardson patented a hame fastener in 1882, an insect destroyer in February of 1899 and an improvement in the design of the bottle in December of 1899.

Henry Thomas Sampson, Jr. of Mississippi was a prolific African American inventor and pioneer in the field of nuclear engineering. Sampson was also a pioneer in the technology that is used in modern cell phones, but didn’t invent the cell phone. In 1971, he co-invented the Gamma-Electric cell with George H. Miley. The Gamma-Electric cell converts high radiation energy (gamma rays) to electricity. Due to his invention of Gamma-Electric cell, Sampson is mistakenly cited as the inventor of the cell phone. He has several other patents focusing on the development of rocket propellants (fuels). In 1973, Sampson invented an improved process of case bonding of propellant grains within a rocket chamber.

Walter Sammons of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was a famous African American inventor who changed the way women look at their hair. He received a patent for the hot comb on December 21, 1920 and what a Christmas gift that was. Sammons said he designed the hot comb to get the nappy out of hair. His invention continues to improve women’s hair even today.

Richard Bowie Spikes was a Black barber and inventor. While operating a solon, he became dissatisfied with how draft beer was dispensed from a keg; and developed variations on the pressure –dispense beer taps. His 1909 patent was purchased by the Milwaukee Brewing Company and variations of the invention are still in use. Spikes later received a patent pertaining to automobile directional signals. Though its patent is not confirmed, its rumored that he installed it on a Pierce-Arrow car in 1913. While he was working on his brake testing machine a few years later, the Oakland, California Police Department was interested enough to give it a tryout. In 1932, Spikes received a patent for an automatic gearshift device based on automatic transmissions for automobiles and other motor vehicles invented in 1904 by the Sturtevant brothers of Boston, Massachusetts. In 1950, Spikes received a patent for a Horizontally Swinging Barber Chair, in 1962 he received another patent for an automobile brake system; all receiving over $100,000.00.

Charles B. Brooks of Newark, New Jersey is an African American inventor who designed a street sweeper and patented it on March 17, 1896. Charles also designed an improved refuse receptacle for storing the collected garbage and litter and a wheel drive for the automatic turning of the brushes and for powering a lifting mechanism for the scrapers. Continuing to come up with innovation designs, Charles Brooks also patented an early paper punch, also called a ticket punch.

Dewey Sanderson is an African American inventor who is credited with inventing the Urinalysis machine, according to a U. S. patent. He is also responsible for inventing the medical compress that staunches blood flow from a wound or vein after withdrawal of a needle that drew blood.

Joseph Hunter Dickerson born in Chatham, Ontario, Canada is an African American inventor. In his lifetime, Dickerson received many patents, and his contribution is one that is not only technically impressive, but also brings joy to our ears and nourishment to our soul. Small alternations and improvements can mean the difference between beauty and failure, and the work of Dickerson has made him an essential member of the African American inventive elite. Joseph Hunter Dickerson had patents for improvements to the Player Piano and arm for record player. His patents were for improvements to the Reed Organ, Volume-controlling means for mechanical musical instruments, Player piano, Phonograph, Rewind device for phonographs, Automatic musical instrument, Multi-record-magazine phonograph, Player piano and the like, Automatic musical instrument (again), Automatic Sound box for sound-reproducing machines and Multi-record-magazine phonograph.

Catonia Joaquin Dorticus is an African American inventor who received many patents. He invented an apparatus for applying dyes to the sides of soles and heels of shoes, a machine for embossing (contouring the paper of) photographs, a device that helped develop photographs and a leak stopper for hoses.

Phil Bell Downing of Providence, Rhode Island is an African American Inventor. On June 17, 1890, the U. S. Patent Office approved Downing’s application for "new and useful improvements" in Street Railway and Train Switches. This patent ultimately led to the light switch we know today. On October 27, 1891, Downing was granted a patent that changed the mail system forever. That device was a street letter mailbox with a hinged door that closed to protect the mail. That mailbox is frequently seen in our cities, towns all around the country. It has 4 legs and because of its unique design features, it has made significant changes in our entire mail system. There is some thought that he also owns the patent to the letter box commonly used for rural mailboxes. Prolific minds continue to produce and 25 years later Downing received a patent for an envelope moistener which was a roller and small water reservoir to quickly moisten envelopes and stamps. These are no longer needed as we have self-adhesive stamps and envelopes.

Thomas Elkins is an African American inventor who designed a device that helped with the task of preserving perishable foods by way of refrigeration. He patented this refrigeration apparatus on November 4, 1879 and had previously patented a chamber commode in 1872 and a dining, ironing table and quilting frame combined in 1870.

David A. Fisher is an African American inventor who responded to the needs of furniture workers by trying to make their work easier, safer and more productive. On April 20, 1875, he invented and patented the jointer’s clamp. On March 14, 1876 he patented the furniture caster.

Robert F. Flemming, Jr. is an African American businessman and inventor who invented a guitar he called the "Euphonica" that he believed would produce a louder and more resonant sound than the traditional guitar. He was granted a U. S. patent on March 30, 1886. He also received a Canadian patent on April 5, 1887. He went into business as a guitar manufacturer and music teacher.

Benjamin J. Gregory is an African American inventor who invented the Tandem Motor Liner Rod Pump for the motor.

Michael C. Harvey (also known as M. C. Harney or M. C. Harvey was an African American inventor. He is known for inventing the Lantern. The original lantern is now on display at the Black History Museum. He received patent No. 303844 on August 19, 1884 in St. Louis, Missouri for the invention of an improvement in wick-raisers.

William Harwell is an African American who is a renowned design engineer at Johnson Space Center’s Crew and Thermal System Division. For more than 30 years, Harwell has been working for JSC- fulfilling his childhood vision of working in the space industry. His work has been prolific for NASA, and he even collected patents for his designs of a geometrical vapor blocker (for spacecraft radiators), an apparatus and method of capturing an orbiting spacecraft (Apogee Kick Motor [AKM] capture device) and a magnetic attachment mechanism (for the manipulation of satellites). He is quick to point out that the majority of the work done at NASA is conducted by teams, on which he just does his part – design.

Augustus Jackson is an African American chef who worked at the White House in Washington D. C. He is known for making ice cream. Jackson, did not invent ice cream, however his ice cream recipes became famous. He created many new and popular ice cream flavors. He is sometimes called the modern –day "Father of Ice Cream."

B. F. Jackson is an African American who invented the gas burner.

Dr. Joseph N. Jackson is an African American inventor who holds six U. S. patents for tele-communications and fertility prediction inventions. Jackson’s first patent was for his contribution to a v-chip device that allowed users to block selected content on cable television. This type of technology is commonly used for parental controls. He also holds patents for TV remote control devices. Jackson was not the first person to invent the remote control. The first TV remote controls introduced in the U. S. were created by Zenith in 1950. The remote was called the "Lazy Bones." Another one of Jackson’s patents was for a biorhythmic cycle indicator which was a personal fertility predictor. Jackson also holds patents in the area of air traffic security and tracking systems.

Thomas L. Jennings was an African American inventor, tradesman, entrepreneur, and abolitionist in New York City, New York. He has the distinction of being the first African American patent-holder in history. He was granted the patent in 1821 for his novel method of dry cleaning – four years before Paris tailor Jean Baptiste Jolly-Bellin refined his own chemical technique and established what many people claim was history’s first dry cleaning business.

Lonnie George Johnson is an African American inventor, aerospace engineer and entrepreneur whose work includes a U. S. Air Force –term of service and a twelve year stint at NASA, where he worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He invented the Super Soaker water gun in 1989, which has been among the world’s bestselling toys ever since. He also invented the Nerf Gun when he patented "a pneumatic launcher for a toy projectile" which revolutionized toy blasters.

Isaac R. Johnson is an African American who patented the folding bicycle frame, for perfect traveling and storage.

John Arthur "Jack" Johnson (former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion) while serving a one year sentence in the Leavenworth FederalPrison found a need for a tool which would help with the tightening and loosening of fastening devices. He therefore crafted a tool and eventually patented it on April 18, 1922, calling it a wrench.

Frederick McKinley Jones of Covington, Kentucky was an African American inventor, entrepreneur, winner of the National Medal of Technology, and an inductee of the National Invention Hall of Fame. His mother died when he was nine, and he was forced to drop out of school. A Priest in Covington, Kentucky, raised him until he was sixteen. After a challenging childhood, Jones taught himself mechanical and electrical engineering, inventing a range of devices relating to refrigeration, sound and automobiles. Portable refrigeration units developed by Jones helped the United States military carry food and blood during World War II. Jones was an early 20th century Black inventor who helped revolutionize the cinema and refrigeration industries. Jones patented more than 60 inventions, but is best known for inventing a practical automatic refrigeration system for long-haul trucks.

Dr. John Henry Jordan was the first Black doctor in Coweta County, Georgia. His father was a sharecropper and his mother died when he was two. As a child, Jordan was intent on becoming a doctor. Although his father did not support his decision to become a doctor, Jordan looked to Dr. Edward B. Ramsey, the first Black doctor in Troup County, Georgia, for inspiration. In 1896, Jordan graduated as valedictorian of his class from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. Jordan's career flourished as a doctor. He built the first hospital for Blacks in Coweta County and organized a Medical Aid Organization. Jordan was also known as an astute surgeon. His skills eventually led white families in the county to seek his aid for medical treatment when he saved the life of a child from a wealthy family after other white doctors had failed in their efforts. Additionally, Jordan was a real estate investor, owner of a sawmill, and part owner of a general store. He used his earnings to purchase land and allowed Black families to rent from him while encouraging them to eventually own the land themselves. Jordan had also hoped to build the county’s first Black library, but he died tragically at the age of 42 in a car accident while on his way to a house call in Newnan, Georgia. Dr. John Henry Jordan was an inventor. He filed a patent to protect his Chromatograph invention, an apparatus for gas and liquid chromatography in which the chromatographic columns are heated by microwaves is provided.

Louis Howard Latimer of Chelsea, Massachusetts was an African American, inventor, patent consultant, author, engineer, draftsman, Navy Landsman (Rank). The light bulb itself was perfected by Thomas Edison, but the innovation used to create longer-lasting light bulbs with a carbon filament came from African American inventor, Lewis Latimer. His inventions include an evaporative air conditioner, an improved process for manufacturing carbon filaments for light bulbs, and an improved toilet system for railroad cars. In 1884, he joined the Edison Electrical Light Company where he worked as a draftsman and wrote the first book on electric lighting. His house is located near the Latimer Projects and is a historic house located at 3441 137th Street in Flushing, Queens, New York City.

Annie Minerva Turnbo Malone of Metropolis, Illinois was a female African American Inventor, Chemist, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist. Before there was Madam C. J. Walker, there was Annie. At 20 years of age, Annie created and marketed her own shampoo and scalp treatment to grow and straighten African American hair. Annie is considered to be one of the first African American women to become a millionaire.

Thomas W. Stewart was a Navy veteran and Black inventor who invented the Wringing Mop.

Dr. Rufus Stokes is an African American inventor who invented the "Clean Air Machine" an air-purification device that reduced the gas and ash emissions of furnaces and power plants smokestacks emissions. The core of Dr. Stokes technology was his unique utilization of what he described as "the three Ts": Temperature - Time - Turbulence

Madam C. J. Walker was an African American female who invented a line of specialized African American hair products after suffering from a scalp ailment that resulted in her own hair loss. She promoted her products by traveling around the country giving lecture-demonstrations and eventually established Madame C. J. Walker Laboratories to manufacture cosmetics and train sales beauticians. She became a self-made millionaire.

Rufus Jack Weaver is an African American inventor who patented a stair-climbing wheelchair.

Joseph B. Winters was an important African American inventor. He invented a wagon-mounted fire escape ladder for the city of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, a device that could save countless lives in the inner city. On May 7, 1878, the fire escape ladder was patented by Joseph Winters and it set the tone for fire escape ladders in big cities everywhere.

Paul E. Williams – is an African American inventor. He invented the components of the ‘‘first useful helicopter.’’ William patented the "first useful helicopter" the Lockheed Model 186 (XH-51) on the 26th of November 1962.

Granville T. Woods, known as the "Black Edison," was an African American inventor who made key contributions to the development of the telephone, streetcar and more. He was born to free African Americans, held various engineering and industrial jobs before establishing a company to develop electrical apparatus. He registered nearly 60 patents in his lifetime, including a telephone transmitter, a trolley wheel and the multiplex telegraph (over which he defeated a lawsuit by Thomas Edison). In addition, he invented an electric cut-off switch, relay instrument, telephone system, electrical mechanical brake, galvanic battery, electric railway system, roller coaster auto air brake and more.

The information provided above pertaining to the many African American inventors is just a tidbit of that available for the contributions of some remarkable inventors in spite of the odds against them. I suggest that if you are interested in knowing more about these and other phenomenal African American inventors, do some research of your own. Since the state of Texas does not allow the Goose Creek CISD and other school districts in the State of Texas to teach Black History the way it should be taught, I recommend that you share this article with your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They truly need to understand that no matter who they are or where they come from, they can achieve anything they set their minds on achieving. I want them to know that if they are asked to do something by their parents or even when they grow up and have a real job, if they think the task is too hard, do what many of our former inventors did, design a process to make the task easier or use their minds to invent something that will be useful to them and others. There's a saying that can be paraphrased as follows 'if you fail to learn from history, you're bound to repeat the mistakes of the past'. Let no one, whether it is an individual or a state government, deprive you of the knowledge that shapes your future and that of the world.

J. Warren Singleton is a local historian and resident of Baytown.

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