A Centennial of Garrett Morgan's Life-Saving Innovation: The Traffic Signal
Garrett Morgan's revolutionary invention of the three-position traffic signal has a century-long legacy of saving lives Discover the inspiring story behind the Black Edison's genius and how his innovation brought order to chaotic roads, making our world a safer place
As the traffic light transitions from green to yellow, Sandra Morgan experiences a sense of pride. "It reminds me of my family's special legacy and my grandfather's impact on public safety," Morgan shared with CNN.
Garrett Morgan, Sandra's grandfather, patented the three-position traffic signal 100 years ago. Sandra proudly reflects on her family's legacy and the fact that her grandfather's invention has saved countless lives. She explained that the idea for Morgan's traffic signal was born out of a tragic event.
Bringing traffic to a standstill
Before Garrett Morgans invention was patented in 1923, traffic signals were manually operated by officers with only two instructions - stop and go.
According to Rebekah Oakes, a US Patent and Trademark historian, the roads were crowded with various modes of transportation, including horse-drawn carriages, streetcars, automobiles, bicycles, and pedestrians. "There were many inexperienced drivers," she explained, "resulting in chaos on the roads and a lack of standardization and signals."
The absence of a pause between stopping and going meant that traffic patterns couldn't adapt to changing signals, resulting in frequent and often fatal crashes. "Due to the disorder and the newness of the vehicles, the likelihood of accidents occurring was very high," Oakes explained.
Morgan personally saw a horrific crash between a horse-drawn buggy and a vehicle at a bustling Ohio intersection, which Oakes noted was sadly frequent at the time. "My Uncle John (John Morgan) and my dad (Garrett Morgan Jr.) were in the car with my grandfather and witnessed the accident," Sandra Morgan revealed.
But that accident, she added, sparked Morgans life-saving idea: add a "caution" signal in between stop and go.
An advertising sheet for the Morgan Safety System, a traffic signal system circa 1923.
Western Reserve Historical Society
Morgan was granted a patent for his improved traffic signal invention by the US Patent Office on November 20th, 1923. According to Oakes, the patent included an intermediate step between stop and go to clear the intersection, which is now known as the caution light or yellow light.
Morgan's initial design featured a T-shaped pole with three arms that directed traffic at intersections. Oakes explained that when all three arms were raised upright, an intermediate or caution signal was given, signaling that traffic should stop in all directions.
Additionally, Morgan's design allowed for adjustments based on traffic density. The US Department of Transportation stated that at night or during low traffic periods, the Morgan signal could be positioned in a half-mast posture to warn approaching motorists to proceed through the intersection with caution.
General Motors acquired the patent for the traffic signal from Morgans in 1923 for $40,000, which is equivalent to over $700,000 today. Oakes noted that as electricity was being integrated into city infrastructures, General Motors was keen on securing rights to various patents for different traffic signals.
Oakes stated that the idea for the intermediate signal to clear intersections was borrowed from Morgan's patent and incorporated into the electric traffic signals. Steve Kuciemba, CEO of the Institute of Transportation Engineers, reported that there are now over 300,000 signalized intersections in the US, a century later.
"Garrett Morgan saw a problem, came up with a solution, and 100 years later we are all still using some variation of his original invention," Kuciemba said.
Portrait of Garrett A. Morgan, circa 1875.
Fotosearch/Archive Photos/Getty Images
The Black Edison
Morgan was born in Paris, Kentucky, in 1877 to parents who were formerly enslaved. He went to a segregated school for colored children and did exceptionally well in his studies, as per his granddaughter.
Sandra Morgan stated that he essentially only had a 6th grade education in formal schooling, but he was always eager to learn more. As a teenager, Garret Morgan relocated to Cincinnati in search of work and enlisted the help of a tutor to further his education. After moving to Cleveland, he started working in the textile industry and eventually met his wife, Mary.
In 1909, Morgan was the owner of a thriving repair shop in Cleveland where sewing machines were fixed and sold, as well as a tailor shop specializing in suits, dresses, and coats.
Additionally, in 1919, he established the Cleveland Call, a local newspaper for the Black community in the city - later on combining with the Cleveland Post to form the Call and Post, which became one of the most prosperous Black newspapers in the state.
Morgan maintained a passion for inventing and his entrepreneurial spirit despite juggling multiple jobs, according to his granddaughter. Eventually, he would even coin a new nickname.
"He called himself a Black Edison,"Â his granddaughter said.
An advertising pamphlet for national safety hood and smoke protector circa. 1914.
Western Reserve Historical Society
The Lake Erie explosion
In 1912, Morgan created a safety hood, which made it easier and safer to breathe in toxic or smoke-filled environments. The design was the precursor to todays gas mask.
Two years later, Morgan was granted two patents for his inventions. In addition to this accomplishment, his design won first prize at the Second International Exposition of Safety and Sanitation. Despite his success as a businessman and inventor, Sandra Morgan revealed that her grandfather continued to face pervasive racism and discrimination. In response to the racial climate, Morgan altered his business strategy when marketing the breathing device.
Morgan deliberately concealed his race while promoting the product and relied on White business partners to pose as the inventor during public demonstrations of the hood, Oakes stated. However, in 1916, his deception was uncovered after a devastating natural gas explosion at Lake Erie trapped a work crew underground, according to Oakes.
Photograph of Garrett Morgan bringing ashore body that he rescued from Lake Erie, 5 miles out from shore after a crib explosion that killed 32 men.
The Cleveland Police Department reached out to Morgan, requesting his safety hoods for use at the scene. He then joined forces with other volunteers to coordinate a rescue mission.
"Twenty people lost their lives in the incident, but eight were rescued," Oakes reported. The explosion garnered national attention, as did Morgan's true identity. "When news of the rescue and his involvement spread, it became known that Garrett Morgan was African American," Oakes stated.
"Despite customers initially canceling their orders for the safety hood, it ultimately gained widespread adoption by fire stations across the country and served as the predecessor for the gas masks used in World War I. This incident highlighted the importance and success of his invention."
Portrait of Sandra Morgan.
Bob Christy/Kent State University
Saving countless lives
Sandra Morgan never had the opportunity to know her grandfather, despite having prototypes of the safety hood and traffic signal in her childhood home. Her grandfather, the inventor Garrett Morgan, passed away when she was just a year old in 1963. Prior to his death, he received a citation from the US government for his enhancements to the traffic signal. In recognition of his contributions, he was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2005.
"Since I was young, I knew that he had made these things, even though I didn't fully grasp their significance," she explained. "I would come to understand that later on."
Sandra's father, Garrett Morgan Jr., made a point of educating her about her grandfather's legacy.
Sandra is committed to preserving a legacy that should never be forgotten. "I have put in a lot of effort to ensure that Garrett Morgan is included in the social studies curriculum in Ohio," she stated.
Oakes acknowledged the importance of preserving the inventor's legacy. "He was not only interested in inventing for the sake of it or making money, though that was certainly part of his goal," Oakes said. "He was also committed to improving his community."
Sandra Morgan proudly stated that despite the evolution of traffic signals over the years, her grandfather's innovation continues to have a lasting impact today. "The principles behind it remain the same as they have been for the past 100 years. It has significantly improved traffic flow, not only in this country but around the world," Morgan said.
"It has saved countless lives."
