Contribution: Inventor of 3 position traffic signal and many others
Age: 86 (1877 - 1963)
Mini Bio:
Garrett Morgan was a businessman in Cleveland, Ohio, as well as a busy inventor. In 1920 he started the Cleveland Call, which became one of the most important African American newspapers in the country. Garrett owned a car in the early 1920s, when Cleveland’s narrow streets were crowded with horse-drawn wagons, bicycles, and streetcars. Many accidents happened. Traffic signals were operated by hand and did not work very well. They switched from “stop” to “go” with no time in between. Garrett created an automated signal with a third position, meaning “warning.” This led to the yellow light on today’s traffic signals. Garrett patented his invention and sold the rights to General Electric for $40,000.
- Garrett’s mother, Elizabeth, was part Native American and part African American.
- Garrett developed many other inventions, including a type of gas mask.
- In 1916, he made national news when his gas mask was used to rescue miners who were trapped in a shaft under Lake Erie.
- Garrett’s many inventions included a zigzag-stitching device for sewing machines.
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