Garrett Morgan, born March 4, 1877 in Claysville, Kentucky, was an African-American inventor who invented the smoke hood, the predecessor to the gas mask. He noticed firefighters struggling against smoke while they battled fires, which led to his invention of the smoke hood. Not a success at first, Morgan got the chance to demonstrate his invention in a real-life situation.
In July 1916, an explosion in a tunnel under Lake Erie left many workers trapped. Two attempts were made to rescue the men, but the rescuers were overcome by smoke and fumes. Morgan arrived on the scene with his brother Frank. Garrett made four trips helping retrieve survivors and the bodies of those who perished.
By WWI, his smoke hood was refined to carry its own air supply, making it a gas mask.
Morgan also developed hair products for straightening hair and a three-position traffic signal. He passed away in July 1963.
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