Leonard Bailey was an African American inventor and businessman in Washington, D.C., in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in 1825 to an impoverished free black family, Bailey rose in status by becoming a journeyman barber. Through this success, he eventually came to operate and own many of the … Read MoreLeonard C. Bailey (1825-1918)
William B. Purvis was an American inventor, best known for his patented improvements to the fountain pen in 1890. Purvis was born in Pennsylvania to Joseph and Sarah Purvis on August 12, 1838, as one of eight children. He was related to two prominent anti-slavery activists; his grandfather … Read MoreWilliam B. Purvis (1838-1914)
Matthew A. Cherry, the inventor of the tricycle, was born on February 5, 1834 in Washington, D.C. While not much is known about his early life, it is evident that he had a passion for revolutionizing transportation. He is known for his improvement on the velocipede, followed by … Read MoreMatthew Cherry (1834-?)
Dr. Thomas Mensah is a world-renowned Ghanaian-American inventor and chemical engineer. Mensah is most well-known for his pioneering innovations in fiber optics and nanotechnology, though he has found success in other fields of science and throughout his career. Though he frequently travels, Mensah lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and two children, Kimberly and Michelle. … Read MoreThomas Mensah (1950- )
ENTRY SPONSOR: Quintard Taylor Sarah Boone was an American inventor best known for her patented improvements to the ironing board. She was one of the first African American women to receive a patent in United States history. Boone’s legacy was her improved ironing board. The ironing board … Read MoreSarah Boone (1832-1904)
ENTRY SPONSOR: Quintard Taylor Henry Blair was an African-American inventor who, in 1834, became only the second black man to receive a United States patent for his mechanical corn planter. For years Blair was believed to be the first African American to receive a patent, but it … Read MoreHenry Blair (1807-1860)
Alice H. Parker was an African American inventor famous for her patented system of central heating using natural gas. In the 1920s using natural gas to power a heating furnace was a revolutionary idea that conserved energy and paved the way for the central heating systems we … Read MoreAlice H. Parker (1895-?)
Charles B. Brooks was an American inventor, who is best known for his patented improvements to the street sweeper in 1896. Very little is known about his early life beyond the fact that he was born in Virginia in 1865. By the 1890s Brooks was living in Newark, New … Read MoreCharles B. Brooks (1865-?)
Marjorie Stewart Joyner was the inventor of the Permanent Wave Machine thus ensuring her a prominent place in cosmetology history. She helped write the first cosmetology laws for Illinois and founded the United Beauty School Owners and Teachers Association with Mary Bethune McLeod in 1945. Joyner was also active in the African American … Read MoreMarjorie Stewart Joyner (1896-1994)
John Parker, inventor and businessman, was also a prominent Underground Railroad conductor before the Civil War. He was reputedly responsible for the rescue of nearly 1,000 enslaved people between 1845 and 1865. Parker repeatedly crossed the Ohio River from his home in Ripley, Ohio, often going as far as 20 miles on foot into Kentucky to … Read MoreJohn P. Parker (1827-1900)
