Dr. Shirley Jackson Caller ID Inventor

Dr. Shirley Jackson, a theoretical physicist received a bachelors, masters, and doctoral degree, all in the field of physics. She became the first African-American woman to acquire a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Dr. Jackson started to conduct successful experiments in theoretical physics and then used her knowledge in physics to start making advances in telecommunications while working at Bell Laboratories. These inventions include developments in the portable fax, touch tone telephone, solar cell, and the fiber optic cables used to provide clarity in overseas telephone calls. She also made Caller ID and Call Waiting possible.

Dr. Jackson is now president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute that is ranked one of the U.S. top 50 Universities, according to U.S. News and World Report.

Dr. James E. West

Dr. James E. West and a colleague, Gerhard Sessler developed the microphone (Electroacoustic Transducer Electret Microphone, its official name) while working at Bell Laboratories and they received a patent for it in 1962.

West worked at Bell Labs as an intern while he was attending Temple University.  James Edward West holds 47 US patents and over 200 foreign patents in a career that spanned 40 years with Bell Labs.  He now works with Johns Hopkins University as a research professor.

Dr. Patricia Bath

Ophthalmologist and famous black inventor, Dr. Patricia Bath has dedicated her life to the treatment and prevention of visual impairments. Her personal belief that everyone has the “Right to Sight” led her to invent a specialized tool and procedure for the removal of cataracts in 1985. Dr. Bath obtained a US patent for the Laserphaco Probe in 1988.

The Laserphaco Probe combines an optical laser, irrigation system and suction tubes to perfect the procedure that vaporizes the cataract and lens via its suction tubes. Dr. Bath’s invention increased the accuracy and results of cataract surgery, which had previously been performed manually with a mechanical grinder.

Jair Dynast’s grandfather has received this operation in Barbados to remove cataracts from both his eyes in his early 80s. He is now 94 years old. Overwhelming evidence that Dr. Bath’s invention will restore people’s vision worldwide.

Benjamin Banneker

Sometime in the early 1750s, Benjamin Banneker borrowed a pocket watch from a wealthy acquaintance, took the watch home so he could take it apart to study its components. After returning the watch, he created a fully functioning clock entirely out of carved wooden pieces. The clock was amazingly precise, and would keep on ticking for decades. As the result of the attention his self-made clock received, Banneker was able to start up his own watch and clock repair business.

The son of former slaves, Benjamin worked on his family’s tobacco farm and received some early education from a Quaker school. However, he gained his vast knowledge from being a prolific reader. At the tender age of 15 he was able to take over the farm and he invented irrigation for the farm from nearby springs.

Benjamin Banneker was self-taught in astronomy and mathematics by reading books he borrowed from a friend.  He was able to accurately predict a 1789 solar eclipse from the knowledge that he gained in astronomy. Later he became the author and publisher of the annual Almanac and Ephemeris of Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. He distributed a copy to the Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson with a letter urging the abolition of slavery.

To commemorate African Heritage Month, rapper Jair Dynast has written, composed and produced ‘Art of Invention’, a song paying tribute to the significant contributions African-American inventors have made to modern society. The song’s video and free mp3 download become available during the month of February 2009.