Sarah Boone
Pioneer/Entrepreneur
Sarah Boone received a patent on April 26, 1892 for a device which would help to neatly iron clothing. This device, the predecessor to our modern ironing board was made of a narrow wooden board, with collapsible legs and a padded cover and was specifically designed for the fitted clothing worn during that time period.
Prior to her inventions, people were forced to resort to simply using a table or being creative in laying a plank of wood across two chairs or small tables.
Percy Julian
A pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs from plants, including a synthetic form of cortisone
Garrett Morgan
Invented a three-position traffic signal and an early version of a gas mask
Charles Drew
A pioneer in the field of blood transfusions who developed improved techniques for blood storage.
Elijah McCoy
Invented lubrication systems for steam engines. His devices were referred to as “The Real McCoy.”
Daniel Hale Williams
A surgeon who performed what is considered the first successful heart surgery.
Videos About Sarah Boone
From Dreams Comes Success
Walker remembered that the formula for her hair grower came to her in a dream: “God answered my prayer, for one night I had a dream, and in that dream a big Black man appeared to me and told me what to mix up for my hair. Some of the remedy was grown in Africa, but I sent for it, mixed it, put it on my scalp, and in a few weeks my hair was coming in faster than it had ever fallen out. I tried it on my friends; it helped them. I made up my mind I would begin to sell it.”
Other Notable Inventors
Jan Matzeliger
Lewis Latimer
Garrett Morgan
Invented a three-position traffic signal and an early version of a gas mask