Gas mask inventor biography
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Garrett Morgan
1877-1963
Who Was Garrett Morgan?
A prolific inventor who called himself the “Black Edison,” Garrett Morgan created early versions of the traffic light and gas mask. He began his career as a sewing-machine mechanic before patenting an improved sewing machine design and a hair-straightening product, among other inventions. His breathing device, known as a safety hood, later provided the blueprint for World War I gas masks. In 1923, Morgan invented a safer traffic light. The notable Black inventor, who lived much of his life in Ohio, died in July 1963 at age 86.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Garrett Augustus Morgan
BORN: March 4, 1877
DIED: July 27, 1963
BIRTHPLACE: Paris, Kentucky
SPOUSES: Madge Nelson (1896-1898) and Mary Hasek (1908-1963)
CHILDREN: John, Garrett, and Cosmo
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Pisces
Early Life
Born in Paris, Kentucky, on March 4, 1877, Garrett Augustus Morgan was the seventh of 11 children. His mother, Elizabeth Reed, was of Indian and African d
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Garrett Morgan
American inventor and entrepreneur
Garrett Augustus Morgan Sr. (March 4, 1877 – July 27, 1963) was an American inventor, businessman, and community leader. His most notable inventions were a type of three-way traffic light,[1] and a protective 'smoke hood'[2] notably used in a 1916 tunnel construction disaster rescue.[3][4] Morgan also discovered and developed a chemical hair-processing and straightening solution. He created a successful company called "G. A. Morgan Hair Refining Company" based on his hair product inventions and a complete line of hair care products. He was involved in African Americans' civic and political advancement, especially in and around Cleveland, Ohio.
Early life and education
[edit]Morgan was born in 1877 in Paris, Kentucky,[5][6] an almost exclusively African American community. His father was Sydney Morgan, a son and freed slave of Confederate General John H. Morgan of
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MORGAN, GARRETT A.
MORGAN, GARRETT A. (4 Mar. 1877 [sometimes given as 1879]-27 July 1963), was an important inventor and businessman active in the affairs of Cleveland's AFRICAN AMERICAN community. Among his most notable inventions were an early gas maskering and a traffic light. Born in Paris, Ky., to Sydney and Eliza Reed, both former enslaved people, Morgan received 6 years of education before leaving home at age 14 for Cincinnati where he worked and hired a tutor to continue his education. He has long been believed to be the grandson of Confederate John Hunt Morgan, though there are no historical documents to prove this assertion, and census data makes it unlikely. He came to Cleveland on 17 June 1895. After various positions as a sewing-machine adjuster for clothing manufacturers, Morgan went into business for han själv in 1907, establishing a shop on W. 6th St. to repair and sell sewing machines. In 1909 he opened a tailoring shop; with 32 employees, he manufactured suit