Black History Month is a chance to reflect on black history in America and celebrate the contributions of black inventors.
Road Safe Seniors has rounded up several incredible black inventors who contributed to automotive greatness. This is not a complete list.
C.R. Patterson
Photo from History.com
C.R. Patterson was born in Virginia in 1833. Patterson became a blacksmith in Greenfield, Ohio, met J.P. Lowe, a carriage maker, and they became business partners. Patterson and Lowe created C.R. Patterson and Sons, and by 1900 Patterson was the only owner of the buisness. He created about 28 models of carriages and had roughly 50 employees. In 1910, Patterson died leaving his business to his son.
George Washington Carver
Photo from History.com
George Washington Carver was a highly respected scientist, and the head of the agricultural department at Tuskegee Normal & Industrial Institute. Henry Ford invited George Washington Carver to the Ford Motor Company in 1942. Carver worked for Ford Motor Company for several years where he helped develop synthetic rubber. He also invented postage stamp glue, special plastics, a gasoline alternative, and over 100 other important advances.
Garrett Morgan
Photo from Biography.com
Garrett Morgan’s first job was a handyman where he learned to repair sewing machines. Morgan opened his own repair shop in 1907 and became one of the top inventors in the country. Morgan treated himself to a car and noticed that traffic lights in town changed from go to stop with no warning. Morgan created the idea of an “interim warning position” or a yellow light.
Richard Spikes
Photo from Blackpast.org
Richard Spikes was the inventor of various patents including non-automotive inventions we still use today, such as a swinging barber chair, self-locking rack for billiards, and beer tapper. However, Spikes was most interested in the automotive industry including an improved gear shift, an automatic brake system, a temperature check for auto fluids, and a brake testing machine. Although a patent for the turn signal has never been found, several people credit Spikes with this invention.
Wendall Scott
Photo from USAToday.com
Wendall Scott, born in Virginia, learned automobile repair by working with his dad during World War II. During this time, African Americans could not race in the NASCAR circuit, so he began racing in the Dixie Circuit. His skills on the race led him to become the first African American driver in NASCAR. Scott won the Jacksonville 200 and in 2015, he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
McKinley Thompson, Jr.
Photo from Ford Media
McKinley Thompson, Jr. was Ford’s first Black designer in 1956. Thompson worked on the design for the Ford Mustang and GT40 race car. Ted Ryan, Ford’s chief archivist and heritage brand manager, connected some of Thompson’s sketches for the Ford 4x4 Bronco.
Edward Davis
Photo from Automotive Hall of Fame
Edward Davis always loved cars. Davis became an accountant after high school, but struggled to find employment so he decided to open a car garage. A Dodge plant employee became a regular customer at the garage and offered Davis a job working at the Dodge Hamtramck assembly facility. In 1936, the Dodge supervisor’s son opened a Dodge dealership where Davis was hired to be in dealership sales. He moved up and became a dealership sales leader. In 1938, Davis created Davis Motor Sales. Davis then tried to acquire a franchise from the “Big Three” (GM, Ford, Chrysler) but was denied because of the color of his skin.
In 1963, Davis finally acquired a Chrysler-Plymouth franchise in Detroit. He was the first Black American to own a car dealership, and in 1996, Davis became the first Black American to be inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.