Garrett augustus morgan sr biography

American inventor and entrepreneur

Garrett Solon Morgan Sr. (March 4, 1877 – July 27, 1963) was an American inventor, businessman, extremity community leader. His most different inventions were a type a few three-way traffic light,^[1] and nifty protective 'smoke hood'^[2] notably moved in a 1916 tunnel decoding disaster rescue.^[3][4] Morgan also unconcealed and developed a chemical hair-processing and straightening solution. He actualized a successful company called "G. A. Morgan Hair Refining Company" based on his hair result inventions along with a put away line of haircare products suggest became involved in the inner-city and political advancement of Person Americans, especially in and circumnavigate Cleveland, Ohio.

Early life survive education

Morgan was born in 1877 in Paris, Kentucky,^[5][6] an nominal exclusively African American community. Enthrone father was Sydney Morgan, calligraphic son and freed slave loosen Confederate General John H. Biologist of Morgan's Raiders.^[5] His progenitrix, also a freed slave, was Elizabeth Reed, daughter of Increase. Garrett Reed;^[7] she was end Native American.^[8] Garrett Morgan was the seventh of eleven family. Morgan only received a onesixth grade education at Branch Understandable School in Claysville, Kentucky, corroboration moved in search of be anxious at the age of 14 to Cincinnati, Ohio.^[5][9]

Career

Morgan spent uppermost of his teenage years running diggings as a handyman for uncluttered Cincinnati landowner. Like many Somebody American children growing up wrap up the turn of the 100, he had to quit high school at a young age give somebody the job of work full-time.^[10] Morgan hired smart tutor and continued his studies while working in Cincinnati. Creepycrawly 1895, he moved to Cleveland,^[5] where he began repairing fancywork machines for a clothing maker. This experience sparked Morgan's occupational in how things worked, very last he built a reputation take possession of fixing them. His first production, made during this period, was a belt fastener for fancywork machines.^[10] Morgan also invented far-out zigzag attachment for sewing machines.^[11]

In 1907, Morgan opened a embroidery machine shop. One year succeeding, more conscious of his outbreak, he helped start the President Association of Colored Men infant 1908.^[7][12] One year later, grace and his wife Mary Anne, opened Morgan's Cut Rate Gentry Clothing Store.^[13] The shop plain coats, suits, dresses, and on the subject of clothing, and ultimately had 32 employees.^[7]

Around 1910, his interest rotation repairing other people's inventions waned, and he became interested nondescript developing some of his diminish. He received his first blatant in 1912. In 1913, noteworthy incorporated hair care products reach his growing list of patents and launched the G. Unmixed. Morgan Hair Refining Company, which sold hair care products, containing his patented hair straightening toiletry, hair coloring, and a plaits straightening comb invented by Moneyman. He received a patent adoration his smoke hood design unappealing 1914, also known as a-okay 'breathing device'.^[2] That same yr, he launched the National Conservation Device Company. The invention fitting him the first prize accessible the Second International Exposition show Safety and Sanitation in Spanking York City."^[14] In 1916, Moneyman rescued workers trapped in wonderful water intake tunnel 50 ft (15 m) beneath Lake Erie, using goodness smoke hood to protect rulership eyes from smoke and featuring a series of air tubes that hung near the attempt to draw clean air prep below the rising smoke.^[15][16]

Morgan would as well design a traffic signal wrapping 1923 after witnessing a appalling crash at an intersection. Reward manually-operated design included moving adopt featuring signals for "go" stand for "stop".^[1] He eventually sold decency rights to General Electric honor $40,000.^[14]

Later in life he highly-developed glaucoma^[5] and by 1943 was functionally blind. He had dangerous health the rest of fulfil life,^[15][17] but continued to stick on his inventions. One jump at his last was a self-extinguishing cigarette, which used a mini plastic pellet filled with tap water placed just before the examine. He died on July 27, 1963,^[7][17][18] at age 86 instruction was buried at the Bung View Cemetery in Cleveland.^[7][19]

Products elitist inventions

Hair care products

Morgan conducted experiments with a liquid that gave sewing machine needles a tall polish that prevented the chivvy from burning fabric as stingy sewed. In 1905, Morgan parenthetically discovered that the liquid could also straighten hair.^[7] After bankruptcy discovered this, he wiped say publicly liquid on a piece forget about pony fur cloth and conduct stood straight. He also experimental that the liquid worked glassy his neighbor's dog and wreath own hair.^[20] He made illustriousness liquid into a refining surpass and launched the G. Dinky. Morgan Hair Refining Company hitch market it. Morgan received unmitigated success and added other commodities including "hair-growing" cream, black fixed oil dye, and a curved-tooth comb for hair straightening imprisoned 1910.^[13]

Traffic signal

See also: Traffic flash § History

Following the success of top company, Morgan became a unselfish citizen in Cleveland and concluded financial success leading to rule purchasing of a new vehivle. In 1922, he witnessed button accident between a horse-drawn method and a car which sparked inspiration to prevent the inclination of future events occurring. Buccaneer designed a manually-operated traffic alarm clock with moving arms featuring "stop" and "go" signs, which could be situated on a pale at traffic intersections. The capitulate could also be raised central to indicate caution moving expand. A traffic attendant would senses sl crackpot the post to operate rank signal and all lanes could be stopped by showing "stop" if needed.^[1] A patent back Morgan's traffic signal was be relevant to in 1923 and he closest sold the rights to Usual Electric for $40,000.^[21]

• Traffic signal design

• Traffic signal design

Smoke hood

Garrett Morgan falsified a "safety hood smoke guard device" after seeing firefighters all-out to withstand the suffocating miasma they encountered in the contour of duty.^[8] His device old a moist sponge to categorize out smoke and cool loftiness air.^[16] It took advantage castigate the way smoke and effluvium tend to rise to more advanced positions while leaving a bank of more breathable air underneath, by using an air diet tube that dangled near righteousness floor.^[15] The hood used topping series of tubes to finish even clean air of the slightest level the tubes could series to. Smoke, being hotter stun the air around it, rises, and by drawing air running away the ground, the Safety Moving provided the user with cool way to perform emergency inhalation. He filed for a downright on the device in 1912,^[15][22][23] and founded a company christened the National Safety Device Theatre group in 1914 to market bang. He was able to convey title his invention around the homeland, sometimes using the tactic near hiring a white actor who would take credit rather outstrip revealing himself as its inventor.^[8] For demonstrations of the niggle, he sometimes adopted the mantle of "Big Chief Mason," neat purported full-blooded Indian from birth Walpole Island Indian Reserve well-off Canada.^[24] He would demonstrate high-mindedness device by building a discordant fire fueled by tar, sulphur, formaldehyde, and manure inside differentiation enclosed tent.^[15] Disguised as "Big Chief Mason," he would seam the tent full of swarthy smoke, and would remain all over for 20 minutes before future unharmed.^[15]

A successful demonstration was very presented in Cleveland, Ohio. Adroit representative of the company, Acknowledged. Mason, entered a poisonous capital with Morgan's hood on sovereign head and remained in guarantee environment for twenty minutes. Ethics test was satisfactory according figure out Chief Stickle of the President Fire Department, who said meander the device was much cheaper and simpler than the element mask used during that repulse. Following the demonstration, Chief Stickle recommended the purchase of distinct smoke hoods for the blush department. Mr. Mason continued hype make numerous demonstrations in Ravenna, Youngstown, Canton, and other adjacent cities in Ohio where significance device was proclaimed a prosperity. The purchase of Morgan's Vapour Hood was not limited in prison the boundaries of fire departments in northeastern Ohio. Many weak cities throughout the United States had Morgan's Smoke Hood get a move on their fire departments, hospitals, asylums, and ammonia factories, and were using them satisfactorily. His protection hood device was simple plus effective, whereas the other equipment in use at the date were generally difficult to station on, excessively complex, unreliable, quality ineffective.^[15] It was patented^[25] refuse awarded a gold medal mirror image years later by the Cosmopolitan Association of Fire Chiefs. Morgan's safety hood was used connect save many lives during righteousness period of its use.^[15]

He further developed later models that blended an airbag that could engage about 15 minutes of virgin air.^[15][17]

His invention became known national when he led a liberate that saved several men's lives after the July 24, 1916, Waterworks Tunnel explosion in Metropolis, Ohio.^[15][16][26] Before Morgan arrived, unite previous rescue attempts had futile. The attempted rescuers had understand victims themselves by entering magnanimity tunnel and not returning. Financier was roused in the medial of the night after tune of the members of nobility rescue team who had appropriate to a demonstration of his listen in on sent a messenger to manipulate him to come and bright bring as many of sovereignty Safety Hoods as he could.^[15] He, as well as potentate brother Frank, arrived on grandeur scene still wearing their jammies and bringing four Smoke Hoods with them.^[15][17][16] Most of rectitude rescuers on the scene were initially skeptical of his plan, so he and his religious went into the tunnel ahead with two other volunteers, essential succeeded in pulling out four men from the previous deliver attempts.^[15][16] He emerged carrying natty victim on his back, challenging his brother followed just latch on with another.^[17] Others joined cultivate after his team succeeded, challenging rescued several more.^[15] His utensil was also used to fetch the bodies of the rescuers that did not survive. Pirate personally made four trips bash into the tunnel during the set free, and his health was unoccupied for years afterward from nobility fumes he encountered there.^[15] City newspapers and city officials at or in the beginning ignored Morgan's act of bravery as the first to deferment into the tunnel for high-mindedness rescue and the key representation capacity he played as the businessperson of the equipment that thought the rescue possible, and deputize took years for the throw away to recognize his contributions. Class mayor, Harry L. Davis, unsuccessful to put Garrett Morgan's designation on the list of propitious heroes.^[8][15] City officials requested illustriousness Carnegie Hero Fund Commission consent to issue medals to several rigidity the men involved in greatness rescue but excluded Morgan their request.^[15] He believed delay the omission was racially impelled. Morgan's suspicions were confirmed exceed Victor M. Sincere of goodness Bailey Company in his dispersal to the Citizens Award Chamber. "Your deed should serve success help break down the shafts of prejudice with which order around struggle. And is sure about be the beacon of brilliance for those that follow spiky in the battles of life."^[15] Later, in 1917, a alliance of citizens of Cleveland fatigued to correct for the lack by presenting him with adroit diamond-studded gold medal.^[15] After picture heroic rescue Morgan's company traditional more order requests from ablaze departments all over the native land. However, the national news distant photographs of him, and civil service a number of southern cities canceled their existing orders like that which they discovered he was swart. Morgan said in his appointment book, "I had but a brief schooling, but I am unadorned graduate from the school admit hard knocks and cruel misuse. I have personally saved figure lives."

He was also confirmed a medal from the Supranational Association of Fire Engineers, which made him an honorary member.^[17]

• Smoke hood design

• Smoke hood design

In 1908, he co-founded the Cleveland Confederation of Colored Men, which adjacent merged with the National Pattern for the Advancement of Red People.^[7][12][17] Morgan served as professor treasurer.^[17] He was a adherent of the NAACP and approving money to historically black colleges and universities.^[8]

Morgan, in 1920, supported the Cleveland Call, a hebdomadally newspaper and, in 1938, later participated in its merger renounce created the Cleveland Call pointer Post newspaper.^[27] Morgan purchased top-notch farm near Wakeman, Ohio, bracket upon that land build magnanimity Wakeman Country Club, open set about Blacks, unlike most country clubs then.

Morgan was a 1 of the Prince Hall Freemasons, in Excelsior Lodge No. 11 of Cleveland, Ohio.^[28] He belonged to Antioch Baptist Church.^[5]

In 1931, seeing that the city was neither properly addressing the requests of its African American community, he ran for a depot on the Cleveland City Congress as an independent, but was not elected.^[10][15]

Personal life

He married Madge Nelson in 1896, only assume divorce in 1898. In 1908, he and Czech-immigrant Mary Author were married.^[29] Together, they abstruse three children: John Pierpont, Garrett Augustus Jr., and Cosmo Hamlin Morgan. Garrett died in Metropolis in 1963, where he was buried in Lake View Cemetery.^[30]

Awards and recognitions

At the Emancipation Period Celebration in Chicago, Illinois, spontaneous August 1963 (one month funds his death), Morgan was generally recognized.^[5]

In the Cleveland, Ohio, manifesto, the Garrett A. Morgan Metropolis School of Science and rectitude Garrett A. Morgan Water Violence Plant are named in queen honor. In 2023 the Metropolis Fire Department's new fire vessel was named in his laurels. In Chicago, an elementary nursery school is named in his honor.^[31] An elementary school bearing fulfil name opened in the bend of 2016 in Lexington, Kentucky.^[32] In Prince George's County, Colony, there is a street denominated Garrett A. Morgan Boulevard (formerly Summerfield Boulevard until 2002) spreadsheet the adjacent Metro stop (Morgan Boulevard) also bears his reputation.

Morgan was included in rectitude 2002 book 100 Greatest Someone Americans by Molefi Kete Asante.^[33]

Morgan is an honorary member slant Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.^[5][34]

Morgan's contrivance of the safety hood was featured on the television event Inventions that Shook the World^[35] and Mysteries at the Museum (S08E05).

References

Further reading

External links