Discover the life and legacy of Garrett Morgan, a groundbreaking Black inventor known for his innovations like the traffic light and gas mask, whose contributions continue to impact safety and technology today.
Garrett Morgan Garrett Morgan pioneered advancements for Black inventors with his patents, notably for an enhanced traffic light and a breathing device that preceded World War I gas masks.
Who Was Garrett Morgan? A prolific inventor self-dubbed the “Black Edison,” Garrett Morgan developed early versions of the traffic light and gas mask. Beginning his career as a sewing-machine mechanic, he patented an improved sewing machine design and a hair-straightening product, among other innovations. His breathing device, known as a safety hood, became the blueprint for World War I gas masks. In 1923, Morgan invented a safer traffic light. He spent much of his life in Ohio and passed away in July 1963 at the age of 86.
Early Life Garrett Augustus Morgan was born on March 4, 1877, in Paris, Kentucky, the seventh of 11 children. His mother, Elizabeth Reed, was of Indian and African descent, and his father, Sydney, a formerly enslaved man freed in 1863, was the son of Confederate Colonel John Hunt Morgan. Morgan’s mixed-race heritage influenced his business dealings as an adult.
In his mid-teens, Morgan moved to Cincinnati seeking work and became a handyman for a wealthy landowner. Despite only completing elementary school, he paid for further lessons from a private tutor. Jobs at sewing-machine factories ignited his interest in mechanics and shaped his future.
Inventions: Traffic Light, Early Gas Mask, and More One of Morgan’s initial inventions involved the sewing machine. After learning to repair them, he patented an improved sewing machine and started his own repair business. This success allowed him to marry his second wife, Mary Hasek, and establish himself in Cleveland. His patented sewing machine paved the way for his financial independence.
Hair Straightener In 1909, while working in his tailoring shop, Morgan noticed that a chemical solution he was experimenting with for reducing friction in sewing-machine needles straightened the woolen fabric’s fibers. After successful tests on a dog’s fur and himself, Morgan founded the G.A. Morgan Hair Refining Company, selling the cream to African Americans. The company’s success provided financial security, enabling him to pursue other interests.
Safety Hood: Precursor to the World War I Gas Mask In 1914, Morgan patented a breathing device or “safety hood,” which offered safer breathing in the presence of smoke, gases, and pollutants. He marketed it to fire departments, personally demonstrating its effectiveness. This safety hood later became the prototype for World War I gas masks, earning Morgan the first prize at the Second International Exposition of Safety and Sanitation in New York City.
Despite resistance, especially in the South due to racial tensions, Morgan’s marketing strategy, including hiring a white actor to pose as the inventor, successfully boosted sales. Firefighters and rescue workers quickly adopted his breathing device.
Traffic Light Morgan’s inventive streak continued with his development of a new traffic signal in 1923, featuring a warning light to alert drivers to stop. After witnessing a carriage accident, he patented this rudimentary version of the modern three-way traffic light in the U.S., Britain, and Canada, later selling the rights to General Electric for $40,000.
Despite declining health in his later years, Morgan continued to invent, with his last creation being a self-extinguishing cigarette featuring a water-filled plastic pellet before the filter.
Cleveland Tunnel Explosion In 1916, a tragic explosion in a Cleveland tunnel drilling project led Morgan to use his safety hood to rescue trapped workers. Despite saving lives and recovering bodies, his heroic efforts were overshadowed by racial prejudice, affecting sales and recognition. Although nominated, Morgan did not receive a Carnegie Medal for his bravery, and reports of the explosion credited others as rescuers.
Social Activism Beyond inventing, Morgan supported the African American community, joining the NAACP, the Cleveland Association of Colored Men, donating to Black colleges, and founding an all-Black country club. In 1920, he launched the Cleveland Call, an African American newspaper later named the Call and Post.
Wives and Children Morgan was married twice and had three sons. His first marriage to Madge Nelson lasted from 1896 to 1898. He had a lasting relationship with his second wife, Mary Hasek, whom he married in 1908. Despite societal challenges, the Morgans valued family time and invested in their children’s education.
Later Years and Death In 1943, Morgan developed glaucoma and lost most of his sight. He believed his declining health was due to exposure to toxins from the Cleveland tunnel disaster. Just before his death, he was honored by the U.S. government for his traffic signal invention. Morgan died in Cleveland on July 27, 1963, at age 86, shortly before the centennial celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Morgan is buried at Cleveland’s Lake View Cemetery, resting alongside notable figures like President James Garfield and John D. Rockefeller.
Legacy Garrett Morgan’s inventions, including those that saved lives and improved safety, left a lasting impact. He was eventually recognized as a hero of the Lake Erie rescue. His work laid the foundation for many advancements and continues to inspire modern inventors. In 2005, Morgan was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. His traffic signal prototype is displayed at the African American Museum in Cleveland, and the Garrett Morgan School of Engineering and Innovation in the city bears his name.
