Elijah McCoy (1843-1929) invented an automatic lubricator for oiling steam engines in 1872. The term "the real McCoy" is believed to be a reference about the reliability of Elijah McCoy’s invention.

Garrett Augustus Morgan (1877-1963) invented, among many other things, a 3-way automatic stop sign, which he sold to General Electric. It was used in the U.S. until the 3-light traffic sign was developed.

Otis Boykin (1920 -1982) invented electronic control devices for guided missiles, IBM computers, and the control unit for a pacemaker.

Ben Carson (1951-) a skilled neurosurgeon, led the first successful operation to separate a pair of Siamese twin infants who were joined at the back of the head in 1987.

George Carruthers (1939-) invented the far ultraviolet electrographic camera, used in the 1972 Apollo 16 mission. This invention revealed new features of Earth’s far-outer atmosphere and deep-space objects from the perspective of the lunar surface. Carruthers was inducted into the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame in 2003.

James West’s (1931-) research in sound technology led to the development of foil-electret transducers used in 90% of all microphones built today and in most new telephones being manufactured. West holds 47 U.S. and more than 200 foreign patents on microphones and techniques for making polymer foil-electrets. He was inducted into the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame in 1999.

Dr. Charles Drew (1904-1950) discovered techniques to store blood and developed blood banks.

Thomas J. Martin patented a fire extinguisher in 1872.

Lewis Howard Latimer invented the carbon filament for light bulbs in 1881.

Lonnie G. Johnson (1949-), an engineer who performed spacecraft system design for NASA, invented the Super Soaker water gun – the number one selling toy in America in 1991.

Alexander Miles of Duluth, Minnesota patented an electric elevator in 1887 with automatic doors that would close off the shaft way, thus making elevators safer.

Andrew Jackson Beard (1849-1921) invented the "Jenny Coupler" which allowed train cars to hook themselves together when they are bumped into one another. The device is still used today.

John Love invented the pencil sharpener in 1897.

Judy W. Reed was the first African-American woman to receive a patent in 1884 for a hand-operated machine used to knead and roll dough.

Joseph Lee (1849-1905) invented a bread-making machine that mixed the ingredients and kneaded the dough in 1895.

David Crosthwait Jr. (1898-1979) an expert on heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, holds 39 U.S. patents and 80 international patents pertaining to heating, refrigeration and temperature regulating systems. Crosthwait created the heating system for New York City’s Radio City Music Hall.

Jack Johnson (1878-1946), the first African”“American heavyweight champion, patented a wrench in 1922.

Madame C.J. Walker (born Sarah Breedlove) (1876-1919) invented specialized hair products for African-American hair and became the first American woman to become a millionaire.

Thomas L. Jennings (1791-1859) was the first African-American to receive a patent in 1821. It was for a dry-cleaning process in 1821. He used the money earned from the patent to purchase relatives out of slavery and support abolitionist causes.

George Washington Carver (1864-1943) who made agricultural advancements and inventions pertaining to the use of peanuts and Percy Julian, who helped create drugs to combat glaucoma, were the first African-Americans admitted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1990.