Bessie Blount Griffin was a remarkable physical therapist, inventor, and forensic scientist whose groundbreaking work transformed rehabilitative care for wounded soldiers and people with disabilities. Her innovations were driven by a simple yet powerful belief: everyone deserves dignity, independence, and control over their own lives.
Born November 24, 1914, in Hickory (now Chesapeake), Virginia, Blount taught herself to write with both hands as a child. After completing sixth grade, she was forced to stop her formal education because resources for Black children in her community had been depleted. Following her family’s move to New Jersey, she earned her GED, completed nursing training, and pursued a career in physical therapy—a profession still emerging at the time.
During World War II, while working with injured and amputee veterans at Bronx Hospital in New York, Blount noticed that one of their greatest challenges was feeding themselves. Determined to help, she developed an electric, bite-activated self-feeding device in the late 1940s.
Blount received a patent on her “Portable Receptacle Support” on April 24, 1951.
- A tube with a mouthpiece delivered food to the user.
- When the patient bit down, a measured portion of food was released.
- This allowed users to control when and how much they ate—restoring independence, confidence, and dignity.
When the U.S. Veterans Administration declined to adopt her invention, Blount sold the rights to the French government. She later stated that her invention proved “that a Black woman can invent something for the benefit of humankind.”
Beyond this breakthrough, Blount taught amputee veterans to write using their teeth and feet, later became a forensic scientist, and invented the disposable cardboard emesis basin. She was also once a physical therapist to the mother-in-law of Theodore Edison, son of famed inventor Thomas Edison.
Honors & Recognition
- Honored by an African American–focused physical therapy organization (1992)
- Named one of Virginia Women in History (2005)
- Featured in The New York Times’ “Overlooked No More” series (2019)
✨ We honor Bessie Blount Griffin—a true pioneer whose brilliance, resilience, and compassion continue to inspire generations.
