Name ______Alise R Defoe________ Class: ___Biology 103______

African – American Scientist and Mathematicians – Service-Learning Research Project 2019

Below is a list of popular inventors, scientist and mathematicians who have made significant
contributions to society and the world. From aerospace innovator George Alcorn to Kevin
Woolfolk, who invented high-tech exercise equipment for hamsters, African- American
inventors have made major contributions that have helped advance our increasingly
technology-driven society. This alphabetical list of popular black inventors provides you an
opportunity to research and become knowledgeable of the contributions that were made by
a race of people before, during and after slavery.

Directions: You will research each of the scientist listed providing information on
their achievements and scientific contributions.

Scientist/Mathematician Contribution/Invention

1 George Alcorn Invented an imaging x-ray spectrometer, using thermomigration.

2 Nathaniel Alexander
3 Virgie Ammons
4 Benjamin Bradley
Patented a folding chair, designed to be used in schools, churches and other
auditoriums.
Invented a fireplace damper, which prevents cold air and dust from blowing
down the chimney
Built a working steam engine

5 Benjamin Banneker Created a wooden clock made entirely of indigenous American parts.

6 Janet Emerson Bashen The first African American woman to hold a patent for software invention.

7 Patricia Bath Laserphaco probe

8 Andrew Jackson Beard Invented the plow in 1884, a rotary steam engine in 1892, improvement to
Railroad cart couples called “jenny Coupler”
9 Miriam E. Benjamin Invented the Gong and signal choir for hotels

10 Edmond Berger Early spark plugs on February 2nd 1839

11 Henry Blair Invented a seed planter, which allowed farmers to plant more corn using less
labor in a small amount of time.
12 Bessie Blount Invented an electronic feeding device.

13 Sarah Boone Obtained patent rights for her improvements to the ironing board

14 Otis Boykin Improved the peace maker and made every day electronic devices
(computers and television) more efficient and adorable.
15 Charles Brooks Best known for his patent improvements to the street sweeper in 1896

16 Keith Black Known for brain tumor surgery and research

 Scientist/Mathematician Contribution/Invention

17 Phil Brooks Invented a disposable syringe.

18 Henry Brown He invented a type of strong box

19 Marie Brown Applied for an invention patent for a closed-circuit television security
system.
20 Robert Bryant Chemical engineer, has patented numerous inventions, like LaRC-SI and
headed the team which created macro fiber composite (MFC).
21 John Albert Burr Invented one of the first rotary- blade lawn mowers.

22 George Washington Carver Known for his work with peanuts, the ‘peanut man’, he developed hundreds
of products using peanut, sweet potatoes and soy beans.
23 George Carruthers Invented the ultraviolet camera used to reveal mysteries of space and the
earth’s atmosphere.
24 Benjamin S. Carson He was the lead neurosurgeon of a 70-member surgical team that separated
conjoined teams.
25 Emmett W. Chappelle Used chemicals from fireflies as well as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to
detect life on mars. He used this research in bioluminescence, light produced
by living organisms, to detect bacteria in water as well as improving
environmental management.
26 John Christian Invented new lubricants, used in high flying aircraft and NASA space
missions.
27 Donald Cotton Invented propellants for nuclear reactors.

28 David Crosthwait Invented a vacuum pump, a boiler and a thermostat control, all for more
effective heating systems for larger buildings.
29 George Crum Inventor of potato chips

30 Mary Davidson She patented an early incarnation of the sanitary napkin by fashioning the
device with a belt. She also invented a toilet paper holder, and a mounted
back scrubber and washer for showers.
31 Mark Dean Was instrumental in the invention of the personal computer (PC)

32 Ronald Demon Invented an athletic shoe with cushion support which adjusts to suit the
shape of the wearer’s feet.
33 Joseph Hunter Dickinson Particularly known for improvements to player pianos that provided better
actuation (the loudness and softness of the key strikes)
34 Clatonia Joaquin Dorticus Invented and improved photographic print and negative wash machine

35 Philip Downing Used 65,000 processors to invent the world’s fastest computer, which
performs computations at 3.1 calculations per second
36 Charles Richard Drew Researched in the fields of blood transfusions, developing improved
techniques for blood storage and applied his expert knowledge to
developing large scale blood banks.
37 Thomas Elkins Designed a device that helped with the task of preserving perishable foods
by way of refrigeration.
38 Phillip Emeagwali Used 65,000 processors to invent the world’s fastest computer, which
performs computations at 3.1 calculations per second
Scientist/Mathematician Contribution/Invention

39. Henry Faulkner

Best known for his wildly colorful oil paintings and eccentric acts
40 David Fisher Author of more than twenty New York Times best sellers

41 Sarah E. Goode The first African – American woman to be granted patent by the U.S patent
and trademark office for her invention of a folding cabinet bed.
42 Meredith C. Gourdine Pioneer researcher and inventor in the field of Electroglas dynamics

43 George Grant Patented and invented the first golf tee in 1989

44 Lloyd Augustus Hall Invented several ways to better preserve food. Many food preservatives
used today were pioneered by Dr Hall’s methods.
45 Joycelyn Harrison She received several patents for invention of piezoelectric substrates, which
was used to repair satellites and improve devices.
46 Augustus Jackson Known as the “father of ice cream “, because he created many popular ice
cream recipes.
47 Mary Jackson Her math and science skills earned her a position as a” human computer”
and the first black female engineer.
48 Shirley Jackson Career spanned over two decades. Responsible for 6 novels, two memoirs
and 200 shorts stories
49 Mae Jemison NASA astronaut, she became the first African American woman to travel in
space.
50 Thomas L. Jennings The first black man to receive a patent, for his discovery of a process called
“dry sourcing” known today as “ dry cleaning “.
51 Jack Johnson First black heavyweight champion

52 Katherine Johnson Performed the complex calculations that enabled humans to successfully
achieve space flight.
53 Lonnie Johnson Invented the super soaker.

54 Willis Johnson Patented and improved the mechanical eggbeater, can also be called and
early mixing machine.
55 Frederick Jones Most famous for inventing an automatic refrigeration system for long haul
trucks and railroad cars.
56 Marjorie Stewart Joyner Inventor of a permanent hair – wave machine.

57 Percy LaVon Juilan Invented synthetic cortisone.

58 Ernest Everett Just Pioneered many areas on the physiology of development, especially in
fertilization.
59 Roscoe Koontz Designed a pinhole gamma ray camera called the collimator.
60 Samuel Kountz Pioneered work in the field of kidney transplantations, and in research,
discoveries, and inventions in Renal Science

Scientist/Mathematician Contribution/Invention

61 Lewis Howard Latimer Improved the newly- invented incandescent light bulb by inventing a carbon
filament.
62 Joseph Lee He was patented for his invention of a device that could automate tearing,
crumbling and grinding bread into crumbs.
63 John Lee Love In 1895, Patented for a lightweight plasterer’s hawk and in 1897 he patented
a portable pencil sharpener.
64 Jan Ernst Matzeliger Invented a machine that could produce between 150 to 700 pairs of shoes a
day.
65 Elijah McCoy Invented an automatic lubricator for oiling the steam engines of locomotives
and ships.
66 Alexander Miles Patented for his invention of automatically opening and closing elevator
doors.
67 Ruth Miro Invented paper rings, to provide the benefits of organization, branding,
marketing and promotion.
68 Garrett Morgan He patented for a straightening product, a breathing device, a revamped
sewing machine and an improved traffic signal.
69 Benjamin Montgomery
Known for steam operated propeller
70 Lyda Newman Patented for her invention of the first hairbrush with synthetic bristles.

71 Alice Parker Patented the gas heating furnace.

72 Traverse Benjamin Pinn Invented the “love sharpener “and an improved “file holder”

73 William Purvis Fountain pens, machines for making paper bags, a bag fastener, a self- inking
hand stamp, and several devices for electric railroads.
74 Lloyd P. Ray Patented a new and useful improvement in dustpans.

75 Cordell Reed Developed improvements to the methods of producing nuclear electric

power .
76 Louis Roberts Holds eleven patents for electronic devices and is the author of papers on
electromagnetism, optics and microwaves.
77 Norbert Rillieux Inventor of the multiple-effect vacuum evaporator, which revolutionized the
processing of sugar.
78 Walter Sammons Received a patent for an improved comb that straightened hair

79 Henry Sampson Invented the Gamma-Electric cell which converts high radiation energy to
electricity.
80 Jerry Shelby Invented an engine protection system for recoverable rocket booster.
81 Richard Spikes Received a patent for an automatic gear shift for cars and invented a beer
keg tap.

82 John Standard Was patented for an improved refrigerator design an oil stove.

Scientist/Mathematician Contribution/Invention

83 Thomas Stewart Patented a new type of mop (this clamping device allowed you to wring
water out of the mop using a lever)
84 Rufus Stokes Invented an exhaust purifier and an air pollution control device.

85 Lewis Temple Invented the ‘Harpoon’

86 Valerie Thomas Invented the illusion Transmitter.

87 Vivien Thomas Helped develop a procedure used to treat blue baby syndrome in the 1940’s

88 John Henry Thompson Invented lingo programming used in Macromedia Director and Shockwave.

89 Benjamin Thornton Known for creating a device that could be attached to a telephone and could
be set to record a voice message from a caller
90 Dorothy Vaughan Mathematics teacher who became one of the leading mathematical
engineers in early days of the aerospace industry.
91 Madame C. J. Walker Invented a line of African- American hair care products.

92 Gladys West Satellite geodesy

93 James Edward West Developed the foil electret microphone, used in 90 percent of all
contemporary microphones.
94 John Thomas White Known for both his extended service as a school administrator and
superintendent and, also for his work as a poet
95 Daniel Hale Williams Performed the first documented, successful pericardium surgery in the
united states to repair a wound.
96 Paul E. Williams Invented the “Direct- lift Aircraft; Helicopter and controls.

97 Joseph Winters Invented a Wagon- mounted fire escape ladder for the city of
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
98 Granville Woods Filed his first patent for an improved steam boiler furnace and later invented
an improved telephone transmitter.
99 Stanley Woodard Patented a wireless temperature sensing method using no electrical
connections.
100 Kevin Woolfolk Invented the Hamster workout wheel, which records pet’s mileage or wheel
revolutions.