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Observation by JC Moore, Department of Sociology
(February 2016)
Garrett Morgan
Inventor, Entrepreneur, Showman, Community Leader
Garrett Morgan (1877-1963), was a prolific inventor, and we still use many of his inventions today. His inventions seem to have had a common theme, as all of his inventions were innovations that solved problems he faced, were frequently the result of witnessing hardship or tragedy, and typically benefited people he cared about. The most famous example of this common theme, and my personal favorite, was the modern traffic signal. After witnessing a fatal traffic accident that Garrett felt could and should have been avoided, he devised and patented an "improved traffic signal." In addition to "stop" and "go," Garrett's invention included a symbol for "caution," our modern-day yellow light that is still used today all over the world. He sold the traffic light to General Electric for $40,000, a hefty sum in those days.
Another life-saving invention was the prelude to today's gas mask. It was a "breathing safety hood" used by firefighters early in the last century. He had reportedly witnessed firemen struggling with smoke inhalation, and the hood's design featured a mask to protect the eyes and a wet sponge that filtered and cooled the air. The breathing hood's most innovative feature was breathing tubes that took advantage of smoke's property to rise.
To promote his breathing hood, he had huge spectacles at open-air markets. In the South, he hired a white actor to pretend to be the inventor, while he, disguised as a Native American, "Big Chief Mason," in full regalia, would enter a teepee filled with noxious fumes from burning tar, sulfur, formaldehyde, and manure! He would then stay in the teepee often longer than 15 minutes before emerging unharmed.
When a tunnel collapsed under Lake Eire in 1916, Garrett used his mask to rescue tunnel-workers and would-be-rescuers who had succumbed to smoke in a collapsed tunnel, by some accounts saving more than twenty men. The City of Cleveland awarded medals to the white rescue workers who at first had balked at using Garret's hood, leaving Garrett and his brother out of the official history. However, the International Association of Fire Engineers presented Garrett with a Gold Medal for his device and made him an honorary member in 1917. He had already sold the breathing hood to the U.S. Government to use, and a modified version was used by the U.S. Army during World War I.
Although Garrett Morgan never attended high school, he had an amazing mind and indomitable spirit. He was a true product of America's Cultural Diversity: on his father's side, he was the grandson of a Confederate Colonel, and his mother's mother was Native American. He was a successful entrepreneur, a gifted inventor, a husband, a father of three, and a founding member of the Cleveland Association of Colored Men. Among his many friends were J.P. Morgan and John D. Rockefeller. He was a Freemason, a member of the Antioch Baptist Church, and the cofounder of the all-black Wakeman Country Club. Most of all, he was an amazing man who continues to impact the world beneficially each and every day. His inventions continue to improve all our lives, and his life continues to inspire us all.
(February 2016)
Garrett Morgan
Inventor, Entrepreneur, Showman, Community Leader
Another life-saving invention was the prelude to today's gas mask. It was a "breathing safety hood" used by firefighters early in the last century. He had reportedly witnessed firemen struggling with smoke inhalation, and the hood's design featured a mask to protect the eyes and a wet sponge that filtered and cooled the air. The breathing hood's most innovative feature was breathing tubes that took advantage of smoke's property to rise.
To promote his breathing hood, he had huge spectacles at open-air markets. In the South, he hired a white actor to pretend to be the inventor, while he, disguised as a Native American, "Big Chief Mason," in full regalia, would enter a teepee filled with noxious fumes from burning tar, sulfur, formaldehyde, and manure! He would then stay in the teepee often longer than 15 minutes before emerging unharmed.
When a tunnel collapsed under Lake Eire in 1916, Garrett used his mask to rescue tunnel-workers and would-be-rescuers who had succumbed to smoke in a collapsed tunnel, by some accounts saving more than twenty men. The City of Cleveland awarded medals to the white rescue workers who at first had balked at using Garret's hood, leaving Garrett and his brother out of the official history. However, the International Association of Fire Engineers presented Garrett with a Gold Medal for his device and made him an honorary member in 1917. He had already sold the breathing hood to the U.S. Government to use, and a modified version was used by the U.S. Army during World War I.
Although Garrett Morgan never attended high school, he had an amazing mind and indomitable spirit. He was a true product of America's Cultural Diversity: on his father's side, he was the grandson of a Confederate Colonel, and his mother's mother was Native American. He was a successful entrepreneur, a gifted inventor, a husband, a father of three, and a founding member of the Cleveland Association of Colored Men. Among his many friends were J.P. Morgan and John D. Rockefeller. He was a Freemason, a member of the Antioch Baptist Church, and the cofounder of the all-black Wakeman Country Club. Most of all, he was an amazing man who continues to impact the world beneficially each and every day. His inventions continue to improve all our lives, and his life continues to inspire us all.