Garrett Morgan: Man of Many Inventions
Garrett Morgan was born on a farm in Paris, Kentucky, one of 11 children. At the age of 14, Morgan left Kentucky and went to Cincinnati in search of a better education, where he hired a tutor to help him master English grammar. He eventually settled in Cleveland working as a handyman.
In 1909, Morgan opened a tailoring shop selling coats, suits and dresses. While working in his shop he came upon an idea which sparked his first invention. He noticed that the needle of a sewing machine moved so fast that its rubbing often scorched the thread of the woolen materials. He then set out to develop a liquid that would provide a useful polish to the needle, thus reducing friction.
Not stopping with his first invention, in 1912 he developed the gas mask, which consisted of a hood worn over the person's head with a tube that reached to the ground to allow in clean air.
Morgan’s generation was also part of a ground-breaking change in transportation--the introduction of the automobile into a horse and buggy world. The automobile was an incredible invention, but after Morgan saw a collision between an automobile and a horse-drawn carriage, he was concerned. His response was to invent the automatic traffic light. Morgan patented his invention in 1923 and later sold the technology for his traffic light to General Electric Corporation. Morgan’s invention of the traffic light stands as a significant contribution to the development of traffic management.
His next attempt was to address the needs of African Americans by starting a newspaper called the Cleveland Call (later renamed as the Call & Post.).
Morgan also served as the treasurer of the Cleveland Association of Colored Men which eventually merged with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and ran as a candidate for Cleveland's City Council.
Shortly before his death, in 1963, the U.S. Government awarded Morgan a citation for the traffic signal. He died on July 27, 1963 and because of his contributions, the world is certainly a much safer place.
