On the 7th day of Black History Month, we honor Garrett Augustus Morgan, an inventor, entrepreneur, and community leader whose work transformed public safety and saved countless lives.
Garrett Morgan is most famous for inventing the three-position traffic signal, which introduced the critical “caution” (yellow) light—a groundbreaking step toward modern traffic control. He is also renowned for inventing a protective smoke hood, the forerunner of today’s gas mask, and for building a successful hair-care business that funded his inventions.
Key Inventions & Achievements
Three-Position Traffic Signal (1923)
Morgan’s T-shaped signal added a “caution” phase that stopped traffic in all directions before allowing cars to proceed, dramatically reducing accidents at busy intersections. He sold the patent to General Electric for $40,000, and it became the foundation for modern traffic lights.
Safety Hood (1914)
Patented in 1914, Morgan’s “safety hood” protected users from smoke and toxic fumes by drawing in cleaner air from near the floor. Its lifesaving value was proven in 1916, when Morgan personally used it during a rescue following a deadly explosion in a gas-filled tunnel beneath Lake Erie, helping save trapped workers.
Hair-Care Products & Entrepreneurship
Originally developed as a solution to polish sewing machine needles, Morgan discovered the formula could straighten hair. This led to the creation of the G. A. Morgan Hair Refining Company, whose success financed many of his later inventions.
A Life of Perseverance
Born March 4, 1877, in Paris, Kentucky, Morgan was the seventh of eleven children and grew up working on his family’s farm. As a teenager, he moved north seeking opportunity, eventually settling in Cleveland, Ohio, where he became a skilled machinist, inventor, and business owner.
Despite facing racial discrimination—including fire departments initially refusing to buy his safety hood—Morgan persisted, adapting his marketing strategies to ensure his inventions reached those who needed them most.
A lifelong advocate for racial equality, Morgan also helped form one of the earliest Black fraternities at Western Reserve University and was widely respected as a civic leader.
Legacy
- U.S. Patents: 1,090,936 (Safety Hood); 1,475,024 (Traffic Signal)
- National Inventors Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2005
- Died: August 27, 1963
Garrett Morgan’s legacy is one of ingenuity, courage, and commitment to public safety. His inventions continue to protect lives every single day—and his story reminds us that brilliance persists, even in the face of barriers.
Thank you, Mr. Garrett Morgan, for giving us the red, yellow, and green traffic light system, first patented in 1923, which transformed road safety and continues to save lives every day. We also appreciate you for inventing the pioneering “safety hood” in 1912 (patented in 1914), the forerunner of the modern gas mask, and for its heroic use in tunnel rescues. Thank you as well for developing a successful chemical hair-straightening product, whose success helped fund your lifesaving innovations.
Your brilliance, perseverance, and unwavering commitment to public safety truly changed the world.
