Contents
Garrett Morgan
Developing a safety hood and an improved three-position traffic signal.
Safety hood patent · Tunnel rescue
- Born
- 4 March 1877
- Birthplace
- Paris, Kentucky, United States
- Died
- 27 July 1963
More people
Garrett Morgan
Garrett Morgan was an American inventor and entrepreneur whose work addressed hazards in everyday life.
Early life
Kentucky childhood
Grew up in a large family and left school young.
Mechanical work
Moved to Ohio and developed skills repairing sewing machines.
Career
- 1900s
Business beginnings
Opened repair and clothing-related businesses in Cleveland.
- 1910s
Safety equipment
Developed a breathing hood and demonstrated it during a tunnel rescue.
- 1923
Traffic patent
Patented an improved road signal.
Inventions
Safety hood patent
Developed equipment intended to help breathing in smoke.
Tunnel rescue
Used his hood while helping rescue workers beneath Lake Erie.
Traffic signal
Included a stop-all-traffic position between changes of direction.
Beyond engineering
Community work
Supported Black civic organisations and a Cleveland newspaper.
Other businesses
Sold hair-care products alongside his mechanical inventions.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: Unknown author Unknown author. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
