From the Diversity & Inclusion Committee

We've gone as far back as the 1800s to highlight a handful of famous and little known African American inventors whose creations changed our world. From the Super Soaker, peanut butter and caller ID, here are some important Black American contributions to remember and appreciate during February and beyond.

Black Inventors to Know



• Alexander Miles, who improved the safety of elevators
• Elijah McCoy, the "real McCoy," whose invention allowed trains to run more efficiently
• Lewis Latimer, whose bright invention made the lightbulb more practical
• Jan Ernst Matzeliger, the creator of a shoemaking machine the revolutionized the industry
• Granville T. Woods, the inventor of a train-to-train communication system
• George Washington Carver, an agricultural expert who advised President Theodore Roosevelt
• Madam C. J. Walker, a businesswoman who became one of America's first self-made female millionaires
• Garrett Morgan, the creator of the gas mask and the first traffic signal with three commands
• Dr. Charles Richard Drew, who saved thousands of lives with his invention for improving blood banks
• Otis Boykin, whose work in electronics resulted in a resistor that made electronic devices cheaper and more reliable
• James E. West, who invented microphone technology
• Dr. Patricia Bath, an ophthalmologist whose surgical tool revolutionized eye surgery
• Lonnie G. Johnson, a NASA engineer and the inventor of the world-famous Super Soaker!
• Mark Dean, who co-invented the personal computer