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Garrett Morgan, born in Kentucky in 1877 to freed-slave parents and who later became an Ohio citizen, is an often-overlooked inventor in American history.

In 1895, Morgan became a sewing machine repairman, which guided him to an early invention: hair-straightening cream. We’ll explain. While sewing, heat was created by the friction of rapidly moving needles upon fabric, sometimes scorching it. In seeking a chemical solution, Morgan found that one of his concoctions also straightened out the fabric threads. Further experimentation on his neighbor’s dog (fur) and then on himself (hair) proved fruitful. A thriving business was born, paving the way for a land purchase that evolved into one of the first African American country clubs in Ohio.

In 1914, Morgan received a patent for a smoke protection hood. Morgan had witnessed the perils of industrial fires — smoke, toxic gases, etc. — on employees and rescue workers. Morgan utilized the device himself in real time when he assisted in rescue efforts following a water intake explosion beneath Lake Erie in 1916. His invention eventually garnered a contract from the U.S. Navy and was the precursor to the gas masks donned during World War I.

In the early 20th century, busy intersections were outfitted with traffic signals that had only two positions — stop and go, with no interval in between — and were often manually operated. Confusion and collisions among motorists, animal-drawn wagons, bicyclists, and pedestrians frequently reigned supreme. Morgan designed an electric-powered T-shaped pole unit featuring three positions: stop, go, and an all-directional stop position to restore order. In essence, the yellow light. He received patents in the United States, Great Britain, and Canada.

Morgan occasionally referred to himself as the “Black Edison.” The National Inventors Hall of Fame agreed, inducting him as one of their members in 2005.