By Cedric M. Stroud

In classroom textbooks all across America, the names of Thomas A. Edison, the inventor of the incandescent light and considered this country’s greatest inventor with over 1000 inventions. and Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, always appear as pioneers in the field of electricity.

In fact, in 1983, Ronald Reagan, then President of the United States, even proclaimed 11 February 1983, which is the anniversary of Edison’s birthday, as National Inventors' Day. The U.S. Congress supported the proclamation by passing Senate Joint Resolution 140 (Public Law 97 – 198), in recognition of the enormous contributions inventors make to the nation and the world.

While many in the nation will celebrate the achievements of Edison and Bell, the contributions of Lewis Latimer, who worked with both inventors, are mostly unknown to the public.

Latimer was born on September 4, 1848 in Chelsea, Massachusetts. He was the youngest of three children to George and Rebecca Latimer, former slaves who had escaped from Norfolk, Virginiain 1842.

As a child, Latimer excelled in reading, writing, and drawing. He even skipped a grade, but he and his two brothers missed school often to assist their father with making enough money for the household. At age 10, for some unknown reason, his father left home.

At age 16, Latimer lied about his age so that he could serve in the Union Navy during the Civil War. After the war, he was hired as an office boy for Crosby and Gould, a firm of patent lawyers. Latimer observed the drawings that the attorneys submitted with the patent applications to the U.S. Patent Office and determined that he could do the work. He began reading as much as he could about drawing. Every night he would practice drawing. Latimer even bought the same type of drafting tools that the attorneys used.

Months later, Latimer showed some of his drawings to his supervisor, who then gave Latimer an opportunity to assist with some of the applications. Latimer was hired later as a draftsman and given a raise. He eventually became the head draftsman.

Around 1874, Bell, whose school for deaf-mute persons was not far from Latimer’ place of employment, was seeking someone to do the drawings necessary for the patent application for his invention of the telephone. After Bellfinished his classes during the day, Latimer would stay on the job after regular work hours to meet with Bellin order to get his requirements. Latimer also helped with the wording on the patent application. On March 7, 1876, the patent for the telephone was granted to Bell.

After the law firm closed in 1879, Latimer began working for Hiram Maxim, an inventor and former employee at Crosby and Gould. Maxim was the founder of the U.S. Electric Company and had become the chief competitor of Edison’s in the field of incandescent lighting. Edison had invented the light bulb with incandescent lighting, but it would only last a few hours before burning out, making it too expensive for most persons to continually change these bulbs.

On January 17, 1882, Latimer and co-worker Joseph V. Nichols received a patent for a process for manufacturing carbon filaments which improved upon Edison’s invention and made the light bulb longer-lasting and more affordable to the average household.

Maxim and his partner Charles Westin put Latimer in charge of establishing the first incandescent electric plants in New York City. Latimer directed the installation of electric street lights in New York, Philadelphia, and Canada. He installed electric lighting for large corporate buildings in some of the major cities throughout the world.

Latimer went to London in 1881 to establish the production department of the Maxim-Westin Electric Light Company, now known as Westinghouse. Upon his return, Latimer found that Maxim had filled his position with someone else. Latimer found work with a few other companies before being contacted by Edisonin 1884.

Edison had established the Edison Electric Light Company (later renamed the General Electric Company), a business that assembled many of the top electrical engineers at that time, some of whom had been his competitors. Latimer accepted the invitation from Edison to join his corporation, and was the first and only African-American to do so.

In 1890, at Edison’s request, Latimer wrote a comprehensive technical book, Incandescent Electric Lighting, the first manual for lighting engineers. That same year, Latimer was transferred to the Legal Department where his expert knowledge and testimony was used to help defend Edison’s patent rights to his inventions. Most of the cases were won and saved the company millions of dollars.

General Electric and Westinghouse agreed to form a Board of Patent Control in 1896, to ensure legal protection for their inventions against other companies. Latimer was assigned as the board’s chief draftsman and expert witness until the board was dissolved in 1911.

Latimer died of illness on December 11, 1928 in Queens, New York. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his work on making a more durable carbon filament for electric light bulbs.

For further reading:

Habor, Louis. Black Pioneers of Science and Invention, New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1970.

Cedric Michael Stroud, Founder and President of the African American History Publishing Company, LLC, (AAHPC, LLC), has conducted over 40 years of independent research on the history of Black inventors and scientists. His company’s first publication is the Man Know Thyself 2022 Calendar: Centuries of Inventions and Innovations by Persons of Black / African Descent.