Minority Engineers and Inventors

Juan De la Cierva (Sept. 21, 1895 – Dec. 9, 1936) Spanish Civil Engineer Known for his invention of the Autogyro His invention was later utilized in the development of the helicopter

Mario Molina (March 9, 1943 – Present) Holds a doctoral degree in Chemistry Awarded the Nobel Price in 1995 for Chemistry Awarded for his earlier work his work on explaining the role of CFC’s and the depletion of the ozone layer First and only Mexican to receive the Nobel Prize for Chemistry

Ellen Ochoa (May 10, 1959 – Present) Doctorate in Electrical Engineering First U.S. Hispanic women in space Spent 40d 19h 37m in space Co-inventor on three patents Optical inspection system Optical object recognition method Method for removing noise from images

Luis Walter Alvarez (June 13, 1911 – Sept. 1, 1988) Doctorate of Physics Worked on the Manhattan Project Received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1968 Invented the synchrotron Invented a system to help planes land safely in low visibility conditions With his son, proposed the asteroid-impact theory which explains the extinction of the dinosaurs Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1978

Severo Ochoa (Sept. 24, 1905 – Nov. 1, 1993) Spanish-American Biologist New York University School of Medicine Assistant Professor of Biochemistry Professor of Pharmacology Professor of Biochemistry Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry Received the 1959 Nobel Prize in Psychology or Medicine for work on synthesis of RNA Recipient of the U.S. Medal of Science in 1959

Mae Jemison MD (Oct. 17, 1956 – Present) Chemical engineer, scientist, physician, teacher and astronaut B.S. in Chemical Engineering and doctorate in Medicine First African American female to go into space Spent 190 h 30 min 23 s in space Founded The Jemison Group, Inc. which develops technologies to benefit the developing world

Sarah Goode (1850 - ?) First African American women to be granted a patent Invented the cabinet bed which is also the first “hide-away” bed A bed that folded up and could be used as a cabinet or a desk Started a furniture store in New York City

Madame C. J. Walker (Dec. 23, 1867 – May 25, 1919) Founded the Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company The Company sells hair care and cosmetics It became the largest business owned by an African American in the United States She also became America’s first self-made women millionaire Prominent women’s and African American’s rights activist

Shirley Ann Jackson (Aug. 5, 1946 – Present) Holds a doctorate in Physics First African-American woman to earn a doctorate degree from MIT Appointed Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (first African American Women to be appointed this position) Inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1998 Jackson became and is currently the 18th president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Katherine G. Johnson (Aug. 26, 1918 – Present) Holds degrees in French and Mathematics Began working for NASA and was transferred to the flight research program Helped plot the navigational paths for both manned and unmanned missions John Glenn’s first flight into space Neil Armstrong’s landing and moon walk Earth Resources Satellite Recipient of the Group Achievement Award, NASA's Lunar Spacecraft and Operations Honorary Doctor of Laws from the State University of New York

Archibald Alexander (1888 - 1958) Degree in Civil Engineering Formed a general contracting firm responsible for…. The heating plant and power station for the University of Iowa A sewage treatment plant in Grand Rapids, Michigan An airfield in Tuskegee, Alabama Tidal Basin Bridge in Washington, D.C K Street Freeway Appointed first Republican Territorial Governor of the Virgin Islands by President Eisenhower

David Crosthwait, Jr. (May 27, 1989 – 1976) Holds a Masters of Engineering Considered an authority on heat transfer, ventilation and air conditioning Received 39 patents relating to heating, ventilation, refrigeration, and air conditioning systems Responsible for designing the heating system for Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller center in New York City Granted an honorary doctoral degree from Purdue University

Meredith C. Gourdine (Sept. 26, 1929 – Nov. 20, 1998) Doctorate in Engineering Science Pioneered the research of electrogasdynamics Established Gourdine Laboratories, a multi-million dollar research laboratory Responsible for term “Incineraid:” aiding in the removal of smoke from buildings successfully converted natural gas to electricity for everyday use Holds More than 70 patents for his various inventions

Luis Howard Latimer (Sept. 4, 1848 – 1928) Served in the Civil War Three patented inventions Better light filament manufactures New support for arc lights Better way to attach the bulb filament to the wires Unpatented inventions include improved designs for almost all equipment and steps involved in the lampmaking process Better oven to bake the filaments Glassblowing equipment Better light socket and switch Founding member of the Edison Pioneers

Frederick McDonald Massiah (December 12, 1886 - July 7, 1975) Degree in Civil Engineering Established a construction business Among the first successful Black contracting engineers in the country Accomplishments Elliptical dome of the Ascension of Our Lord Church William Donner X-Ray Laboratory Sewage disposal plant in Trenton, New Jersey Ahead of his time in his use of reinforcing for concrete Awarded the Harmon Foundation Medal for Engineering

Caldwell McCoy (June 27, 1933 – Nov. 19, 1990) June 27, 1933 – November 19, 1990 Doctor of Science degree in Telecommunications Awarded the Laboratory's Thomas Edison Fellowship in 1968 Director of the Information Systems Program at NASA As program manager for the National Magnetic Fusion Energy Computer Network Elected to become a member of the Senior Executive Service, the highest rank to be achieved by a civil service employee

Elijah McCoy (May 2, 1843 – October 10, 1929) Studied Engineering in Scotland Invented an automatic lubricator for oiling the steam engines of locomotives, boats, ect. Held 57 patents mostly related to lubrication, but also including a folding ironing board and a lawn sprinkler Formed the Elijah McCoy Manufacturing Company

Garret A. Morgan (March 4, 1877 – July 27, 1963) Invented a hair straightening liquid while trying to improve sewing machines Invented the “breathing device” which was later known as the gas mask Patented the automatic traffic light Started a newspaper called the Cleveland Call

Percy A. Pierre (January 3, 1939 – Present) Doctor of Science in Electrical Engineering Dean of the School of Engineering at Howard University (1971 to 1977) Assistant Secretary for Research, Development, and Regulation for the U.S. Department of the Army (1977-1981) President of Prairie View A&M University (1983-89) Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, MSU (1990-1995) Currently a full-time Professor of Electrical Engineering at MSU

John B. Slaughter (1934 - Present) Ph.D. in Engineering Sciences Director of the Applied Physics Laboratory of the University of Washington (1975) Appointed Assistant Director for Astronomics, Atmospherics, Earth and Ocean Sciences at the NSF (1977) Chancellor of the University of Maryland (1982-1988) President of Occidental College in Los Angeles (1988-1999) President and CEO of The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc

Virgil Trice (February 3, 1926 – Oct. 31, 1997) Master of Science in Industrial Engineering Chemical engineer at the Argonne National Laboratory (1947 - 1971) Nuclear waste management engineer for the Energy Research and Development Administration (1971 - 1977) Senior program analyst for the U.S. Department of Energy (1977 – 1981) Program Manager for the U.S. Department of Energy (1981 - 1992) Until his death he focused his work on Nuclear Waste Management

O. S. (Ozzie) Williams (Sept. 2, 1921 – Oct. 31, 1997) M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering First African American hired by Republic Aviation Group project engineer for Greer Hydraulics, Inc. (1956-1962) Worked for Grumman International, Helped develop and produce the guidance systems for NASA’s Apollo Space Program Became vice president in charge of trade and industrial relations with emerging African nations Traveled to West African in 1973 to establish Grumman’s African headquarters

George Washington Carver (July 12, 1864 – Jan. 5, 1943) Masters of Science in Agricultural Science Directed the department of agriculture at Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute (1896) As a result of exhaustion of Southern Farms Developed 300 derivative products from peanuts Developed 118 from sweet potatoes This improved demand so farmers could get nitrogen back into the soil and sell the crop because of increased demand Donated his life savings to the establishment of the Carver Research Foundation Produced dyes of 500 different shades during WW2 to replace textile dyes formerly purchased from Europe

Santiago Ramón y Cajal (May 1, 1852 – Oct. 17, 1934) Spanish histologist, physician and Nobel laureate Obtained the degree of Doctor of Medicine Director of the Zaragoza Museum (1879) University Professor at Valencia (1881) Director of the National Institute of Hygiene (1899) Put forth many theories on neurons and electrical synapses Shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1906 Founder of the Laboratorio de Investigaciones Biológicas (1922) Later named Instituto Cajal Published more than 100 articles in French and Spanish scientific periodicals

Carlos Finlay (Dec. 3, 1833 – Aug. 20, 1915) Degree in Medicine Opened a medical practice in Havana, Cuba Developed theories on weather conditions and yellow fever Was the first to theorize that the mosquito was a carrier of yellow fever This discovery helped in the construction of the Panama Canal Chief health officer of Cuba (1902 -1909) A monument called El Obelisco was built in Havana in the shape of a syringe to honor Dr. Finlay

Baruj Benacerraf (Oct. 29, 1920 – Present) Venezuelan-American Immunologist Doctor of Medecine Researcher at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (1948–50) Research in Paris (1950–1956) New York University (1956–68) National Institutes of Health (1968–70) Harvard University (1970–91) Shared the 1980 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Discovery of the immune response genes that are responsible for transplant rejection Received the National Medal of Science (1990)

Granville T. Woods (April 23, 1856 – Jan. 30, 1910) 1887, he patented devices for wireless induction telegraphy 1889, he filed his first patent for an improved steam-boiler furnace Patented an apparatus which was a combination of a telephone and a telegrap called a “telegraphony” (1850) Developed the concept of a third raid for trains which is used today in the subway Developed a safe and inexpensive dimmer switch for theaters

Dr. Patricia E. Bath (Nov. 4, 1942 – Present) Medical Doctorate First African-American woman surgeon at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center. First woman faculty member of the UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute First African-American woman to receive a patent for a medical invention She developed a laser device to remove cataracts - “Laserphaco Probe” (1988) First woman program director of a postgraduate training program in the United States Also the first woman chair of an ophthalmology department (1983 to 1986) founded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness and serves as the organization's president

Otis Boykin (Aug. 20, 1920 – 1982) Attended Fisk University and Illinois Institute of Technology (1946-47) Developed a type of resistor used in computers, radios, television sets, and a variety of electronic devices Responsible for inventing the electrical device used in Guided missiles, IBM computers, Also 26 other electronic devices His resistor designs reduced the cost of producing electronic controls for radio and television, for both military and commercial applications

Jan Ernst Matzeliger (Sept. 15, 1852 – Aug. 24, 1889) Invented a shoe-lasting machine and patented his invention in 1883 Before the invention, shoes were produced in a factory at a rate of 40-50 pairs a day Using the invention, shoe production increased to between 150 to 700 pairs of shoes a day In addition to production, As a result of this invention shoe prices were cut in half across the nation This invention laid the foundation of the shoe industry in the United States and made Lynn, Massachusetts the shoe capital of the world

References www.nobelprize.org www.aaregistry.com www.sce.com www.math.buffalo.edu www.infoplease.com