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Some African American Firsts and Inventions |
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Compiled by Marji Martin, with assistance by Cheryl Carter *Feb 7, 1926, DR. CARTER G. WOODSON begins Negro History Week. In 1976, it becomes Black History Month.
**THOMAS L. JENNINGS was the first African American to receive a patent (US patent3306x), issued on March 3rd, 1821.
**HENRY BLAIR was the second African American issued a patent by the United States Patent Office, inventing a Corn-planting machine1834; Corn-harvesting and Cotton-planting machines1836
**SARAH E. GOODE was the first African American women to receive a patent (US #322,177), which was issued on July 14, 1885 for inventing The Cabinet Bed.
**MIRIAM E. BENJAMIN, the second African American woman to receive a patent, patents Gong and Signal Chairs for Hotels 7/17/1888
**July 28, 1903, MAGGIE LENA WALKER founds Saint Luke Penny Savings Bank, becoming the first female bank president.
*HENRIETTA BRADBERRY patents a Torpedo Discharge Means (Underwater Cannon) 5/25/1943 and a Bed Rack 12/11/1945
*MADAME C. J. WALKER was a St. Louis washerwoman-turned-entrepreneur. Walker patented a method to soften and smooth African-American hair in 1905, died a millionaire & philanthropist with the last words, Not for me, but for my race!
*THOMAS ALLEN was the first man to pilot a plane across the United States.
*JAMES S. ADAMS patents a propelling means for airplanes. 10/19/1920
*DEWEY SANDERSON patents the urinalysis machine
*JAMES B. ALLEN patents a Clothes Line Support 12/10/1895 and a Package-tie 4/14/1914 *March 26, 1872, THOMAS J. MARTIN is awarded a patent for the fire extinguisher.
*ALONZO HERNDON was one of the first African American millionaires in the South, opening a large barber shop in Atlanta, GA, catering to whites only. In 1905, Founded the Atlanta Life Ins. Co., the largest African American-owned business in the nation.
*ANDREW J. BEARD, an inventor who sold his patent rights to a railroad car coupler for $50,000 in 1897, was illiterate. *In 1902 SUSIE KING became the first African American nurse in the U.S. Army.
*THE CUBAN GIANTS, made up of African American waiters from the Argyle Hotel in Babylon, New York, were the first salaried African American baseball team.
*JOHN HAYDEL is the principal of Fremont High School in Los Angeles, California. Under his leadership, the school, plagued by violence, low test scores, and apathy, has been turned around and now receives $2 million dollars in scholarships yearly and sends 70% of its students to college.
*"The kind of ancestors we have is not as important as the kind of descendants our ancestors have. PHYLLIS A. WALLACE, Ph.D. in Economics *November 16, 1989, LT. COMMANDER EVELYN FIELDS, becomes the first woman to command a navy ship.
*Jan 11, 1989, RONALD H. BROWN becomes the first African American to be named Chairman of the National Democratic Committee. 4/3/1996 As U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown dies in Croatia while leading a trade delegation. "When I'm through, I want people to say that I not only made history, but that I made a difference." *June 15, 1971, CHERYL WHITE becomes the first female African American disc jockey.
*PEACHY BOOKER patents a Flying Landing Platform 10/10/1961
*SARAH BOONE patents the Ironing Board 12/30/1887 (or 4/26/1892).
*HENRY A. BOWMAN patents a Device for Making Flags 2/23/1892
*In 1766, JAMES FORTEN SR. patented & perfected a sail designed to make the guiding of ships easier. He used over $300,000 to free slaves, establish his home as an Underground Railroad way station and improve the condition of his people.
*Oct 12, 1967, RENEE POWELL becomes the first African American woman to join the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour.
*GARRETT MORGAN was the man who patented the gas mask and the automatic traffic signal. He and his brother personally donned the untested masks and rescued 30 workers trapped in Tunnel No. 5 at the Cleveland Water Works. The G.A. Morgan Company still operates in Cleveland, Ohio.
*MATTHEW HENSON was a merchant seaman and invaluable explorer, braving subzero temperatures and extreme conditions to become co-discoverer of the North Pole. Because of his race, he was denied recognition until 1961, when a bill was passed providing for a bronze plaque crediting Henson for his achievement.
*BENJAMIN BANNEKER patented the first Farmers' Almanac 1791
*BERTHA BERMAN patented Fitted Bed Sheets 10/6/1959
*M. WILLIAM BINGA patented a street sprinkling apparatus 7/22/1879
*AUGUSTUS JACKSON patented ice-cream.
*ALFRED A. BISHOP patents a Nuclear Reactor with Self-Orificing Radial Blanket 3/7/1978
*THE WARD SINGERS were the first gospel group to sing at Radio City Music Hall.
*November 15, 1990, the U.S. Golf Association bans racial and gender discrimination. LEONARD REED broke the PGA racial ban.
*April 16, 1973, LELIA SMITH FOLEY becomes the first African American woman to be elected mayor of a major city (Taft, Oklahoma). She will hold the position for 13 years.
*In 1883, WILLIAM HINTON achieved world renown as an authority on veneral disease. He developed the Hinton Test and the Davies-Hinton Test for the detection of syphilis.
*JOHNSON PRODUCTS, INC., the Chicago-based hair products company, was sold to a white company in 1993 for $67 million dollars.
*December 11, 1992, the Department of Education determines that an admissions policy that gives special treatment to UC Berkeley minority candidates violates federal law."
*CLAYTONIA J. DORTICUS patented a photo print wash and a photo embossing machine.
*"I could have freed more slaves, if only I could have convinced them that they were slaves." HARRIETT TUBMAN
*The New York Stock Exchange accepted it's first African American member, JOSEPH L. SEARLES III, in 1970.
*JULIAN BOND was refused his seat in the Georgia House of Representatives because of his opposition to U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.
*In 1759 PAUL CUFFEE was a wealthy merchant-mariner, shipbuilder, and humanitarian. He is best known for his efforts to colonize Sierra Leone with free Blacks from the United States.
*MARJORIE STEWART JOYNER patented a permanent wave machine that would allow a hairdo to stay set for days.
*FREDERICK JONES patented the first automatic refrigeration system for long-haul trucks.
*PERCY LAVON JULIAN synthesized the medicines physostigmine for glaucoma and cortisone used for rheumatoid arthritis and he patented fire-fighting foam.
*"Mix conviction with a man and something happens." - ADAM CLAYTON POWELL, former congressman.
*DR. JAMES ROSSER is president of California State University at Los Angeles with a minority population of 70%. The university graduates more teachers than any other California university, ranks second in the nation, listed among the top 25 nursing programs, and number one in awarding engineering degrees to Black and Hispanic students.
*June 11, 1964, NELSON MANDELA is sentenced to life imprisonment by the South African government. February 11, 1990, he is released from prison after being held for almost 27 years without trial by the South African government.
*BARBARA ROSS-LEE of Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens, Ohio, in 1993 is the first African American woman to head a U.S. Medical school.
*April 12, 1966, EMMETT ASHFORD becomes the first African American major league baseball umpire.
*According to the commonest principles of human action, no man will do as much for you as you will do for yourself. -MARCUS GARVEY, Pan-Africanist
*March 16, 1960, San Antonio, Texas, becomes the first major southern city to integrate lunch counters.
*NATHANIEL ALEXANDER patents the Folding Chair 7/4/1911
*CHARLES W. ALLEN patents a self-Leveling Table 11/1/1898
*VIRGIE M. AMMONS patents a Fireplace Damper Actuating Tool 9/30/1975
*BETSY ANCKERJOHNSON patents Signal Generators 11/22/1966
*EDMOND BERGER patents the Spark plug 2/2/1839
*OSCAR. E. BROWN patents the Horse Shoe 8/23/1892
*BROWN & LATIMER patent Water Closets for Railway Cars 2/10/1874; LEWIS A. LATIMER patents an electric lamp with an inexpensive carbon filament and a threaded wooden socket for light bulbs.
*JOHN ALBERT BURR patents the Lawn Mower 5/9/1899
*ALFRED BENJAMIN patents Stainless Steel Scouring Pads 6/19/1962
*CHARLES ORREN BAILIFF patents a Shampoo Headrest 10/11/1898
*BERTRAM F. BAKER patents an Automatic Cashier 4/27/1926
*ALEXANDER P. ASHBOURNE patents a Process for Preparing Coconut 7/27/1880; a Biscuit Cutter 11/30/1875; and a Process of Treating Coconut 8/21/1877; Refining Coconut Oil 6/1/1875
*DAVID BAKER patents a Railway Signal Apparatus 2/25/1913; Signal Apparatus High Water Indicator for Bridges 9/21/1915; Interliners to Prevent Tire Punctures 3/8/1827
*WILLIAM F. BURR patents a Switching Device for Railways 10/31/1899
*WILSON BURWELL patents a Boot or shoe 11/28/1899
*RICHARD A. BUTLER patents a Train Alarm 6/15/1897
*JOHN W. BUTTS patents a Luggage Carrier 10/10/1899
*WILLIAM M. BAILES patents a Ladder Scaffold Support 11/5/1879
*LEONARD C. BAILEY patents a Combined Truss and Bandage 7/18/1899 and a Folding Bed 9/25/1883
*WILLIAM J. BALLOW patents a Combined Hatrack and Table 3/29/1898
*CHARLES A. BANKHEAD patents an Assembled Composition Printing Process 5/13/1930
*CHARLES M. BANKS patents the Hydraulic Jack 5/13/1930; Jack 9/2/1930; Release Valve 1/10/1933
*LYDE W. BENJAMIN patents Broom Moisteners and Bridles 5/16/1893
*JAMES W. BENTON (walking from Kentucky to U.S.P.T.O for patent) patents the Lever-derrick 10/2/1900
*LOCKRUM BLUE patents a Hand Corn Shelling Device 5/20/1884
*JOHN W. BLANTON patents a Hydromechanical Rate Damped Servo System 8/27/1963
*BESSIE BLOUNT patents a Device to help the disabled eat 1951
*GUION S. BLUFORD patents an Artillery Ammunition Training Round 2/13/1951
*CHARLES B. BROOKS patents the first street sweeper truck 3/17/1896
*PHIL BROOKS patents the Disposable Syringe 4/9/1974
*ANTHONY BROWN patents a Weather detector11/2/1999 ;Severe weather detector and alarm 6/13/2000
*LINCOLN F. BROWN patents the Bridle Bit 10/25/1892
*TURNER JR BYRD patents an Improvement in Holders for Reins for Horses Apparatus for Detaching Horses from Carriages 3/19/1872 and an Improvement in Neck Yokes for Wagons 4/30/1872
*ANDREW JACKSON BEARD patents a device he calls the Jenny Coupler 11/27/1897
*OTIS BOYKIN patents the 'Electrical Resistor' used in computers, radios, television sets and a variety of electronic devices including the Pace Maker Controls and Guided Missile 2/21/1961
*HENRY BROWN patented a "receptacle for storing and preserving papers 11/2/1886. It was special in that it kept the papers separated. Perhaps an early forerunner to the filofax?
*GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER patented peanut butter, adhesives, bleach, chili sauce, ink, instant coffee, linoleum, paints, mayonnaise, paper, plastic, pavement, shaving cream, talcum powder, lotions, soaps and more.
*GEORGE CARRUTHERS was the inventor of the far-ultraviolet camera, the Image Converter and the spectrograph.
*EMMETT W. CHAPPELLE was a biochemist, photobiologist, astrochemist and inventor.
*JOHN B. CHRISTIAN patented and patented new lubricants used in high flying aircraft and NASA space missions.
*DAVID CROSTHWAIT holds 39 patents for heating systems and temperature regulating devices. He is most well known for creating the heating system for New York City's famous Radio City Music Hall.
*MARK DEAN co-patented improvements in computer architecture that allowed IBM compatible PCs to use the same peripheral devices.
*DR. CHARLES RICHARD DREW was the first person to develop blood plasma and the blood bank.
*PHILIP EMEAGWALI won the Gordon Bell Prize in 1989, considered the equivalent of the Nobel Prize, for developing the fastest supercomputer software in the world.
*MEREDITH C. GOURDINE was the inventor of electrogasdynamics systems.
*LLOYD AUGUSTUS HALL is responsible for the meat curing products, seasonings, emulsions, bakery products, antioxidants, protein hydrolysates and many other products that keep our food fresh and flavorable.
*JOHN LEE LOVES invention is the very simple and portable pencil sharpener that many artists use today.
*JAN ERNST MATZELIGER patented an automatic method for lasting shoes, which made the mass production of affordable shoes possible.
*ELIJAH McCOY is best known for having patented the automatic oil cup. He patented and sold 57 different kinds of devices and machine parts, including an ironing board and a lawn sprinkler. His first patent was for a lubricator for steam engines ( US #129,843), which was issued on 7/12/1872.
*M. TOLAND (a woman) patents a float-operated circuit closer
*LEWIS TEMPLE NEW, a blacksmith, designed The toggle iron harpoon in 1848 which was the standard harpoon in American whaling from the mid-19th through the early 20th centuries. JAMES EDWARD WEST NEW holds 47 U.S. and more than 200 foreign patents on microphones and techniques for making polymer foil-electrets.
*MARIE V. BRITTAN BROWN patents a home security system utilizing TV, surveillance 12/2/69
*FREDERICK M. JONES patents the internal combustion engine and starter generator
*ALEXANDER MILES patents the elevator
*W. B. PURVIS patents the fountain pen
*HENRY SAMPSON patents the cellular phone
*RUFUS J. WEAVER patents a wheelchair for stair climbing
*J. B. WINTERS patents a fire escape ladder
*GRANVILLE T. WOODS patented improvements to electric railways, air brakes, the telephone and the telegraph, a chicken egg incubator and the rollar coaster
*ROBERT FLEMING, JR. patented a guitar. "Some people dream of great accomplishments, while others stay awake and do them." CONSTANCE NEWMAN, director of the Smithsonian Institute.
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