Lewis Latimer (1848-1928)


February is a time when Americans reflect on the tremendous contributions of people of African descent. While names like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks are known, names of famous black scientists and inventors are not as common. Well, not until now. Let's examine some notable men and women who made great achievements in science, technology and engineering. Here are some examples of giants on whose shoulders we stand.

Thomas Edison was looking for a filament for his light bulb. He narrowed it down to carbon, but that burned out quickly. Lewis Latimer, a draftsman who worked for Alexander Graham Bell, took a job at Edison's lab. There he created a light bulb with a much more durable carbon filament. He also invented the threaded socket that we still use today. A leader in what we now call electrical engineering, he wrote one of the earliest textbooks on electrical lighting and supervised the installation of lighting in London, New York City and Montreal. Always tinkering, he has a range of patents from the first bathroom for trains to an early air-conditioner.

I chose Lewis Latimer because he is not very well known for his contribution

Albert Saddler