Three Inventors Who Revolutionized Electrical Systems

Get To Know the Inventors Who Helped Make Modern Homes a Reality

Black History Month is an opportunity to learn about and celebrate the Black men and women who have helped shape culture and drive progress throughout the centuries. And one area with a rich history of Black innovators in the world of electricity. Indeed, many of today’s electrical systems wouldn’t exist without the work of a few key inventors. 

So this article will look at three Black inventors who changed the course of history with their brilliant electrical advancements and hard work.

Lewis Latimer and His Work On the Light Bulb

Lewis Howard Lamiter was born in Massachusetts in 1848. After serving in the Navy as a teenager, he got a job at a patent law firm, where he learned to draft patent drawings for electrical and mechanical systems. His tremendous skill in this field would eventually lead him to work for Hiram Maxim – one of Thomas Edison’s rivals.

At Maxim’s company, Latimer made vast improvements in the manufacturing process for carbon light bulb filaments and even taught the entire process to workers in a new factory in England. Since the carbon filament was groundbreaking technology at the time, this was no small feat. Edison himself even extended a job offer to Latimer after noticing his work, and Latimer accepted. The two worked together on Edison’s patented incandescent bulb that would change modern lighting forever.

James E. West and His Role In Creating the Electret Microphone

James E. West was born in 1931 in Virginia. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in physics from Temple University, West went on to work at Bell Laboratories. Here, West and a German inventor named Gerhard Sessler made electrical history in 1962 by inventing the foil electret condenser microphone.

Their foil electret microphone solved key shortcomings of the other condenser microphones of the day. As a testament to how revolutionary this innovation was, this kind of microphone is used in countless applications today, including digital video cameras, smart home systems, telephones, baby monitors, recording devices, and many others.

Marie Van Brittan Brown and Her Patented Home Security System

Marie Van Brittan Brown was born in New York City in 1922. In 1966, Brown worked as a nurse while her husband Albert worked as an electronics technician. They both worked irregular hours, which meant Marie would often be home alone in their Queens apartment. Concerned about the high crime rate in their neighborhood and the lackluster police response times, she devised the first home security system.

With the help of her husband, she designed a system that employed a series of peepholes, a closed-circuit television surveillance system, a two-way microphone, remote-controlled locks, and even a button to contact law enforcement. The Browns applied for a patent for their system and received it in 1969. Many elements of this original design are still used in security systems for homes and businesses today. Though she passed away in 1999, Brown’s legacy as a Black woman inventor inspires young women of color to this day.

About Albritton Service Co

The family-owned Albritton Service Co has been serving the Ruston community with pride since 1982. Their licensed, insured, background checked, and drug-tested technicians always show up on time in fully-stocked trucks and get the job done right the first time. Albritton is open 24/7, 365 days a year, so don’t hesitate to call for electrical services in Ruston, LA!

• 
  +
• 
  +
• 
  +