Throughout history, several figures have been swept under the radar. During Black History Month, in collaboration with Spartan News and BSU, every week, we will spotlight an underrecognized Black figure in history. Our first figure is Lewis Howard Latimer, an innovative creator from the late 1800s. Known for his improvements in the light bulb and air conditioner, Latimer empowered future generations of inventors.

Born in 1848, Lewis Latimer lived with his parents in Massachusetts until age 10. Following a court ruling questioning the legality of the status of self-emancipated enslaved people, his father, George Latimer, left to protect his family. Later at 16, Latimer joined the US Navy and served for a year before receiving an honorable discharge. This opened the doors to his new life as an employee at a patent law firm. Recognizing his talent for sketching patents, he was promoted to head draftsman in 7 years.

Following his promotion, Latimer co-patented an improved toilet system for railroad cars. He created a more efficient way to discard waste during travel, and helped make train travel more comfortable over longer distances.

He then moved to Connecticut and was employed at the U.S. Electric Lighting Company as a draftsman, a rival company to the one that employed Thomas Edison. Edison then hired Latimer as a patent expert, helping him recognize when there were incidences of patent infringement. At the time, Thomas Edison patented his famous first light bulb, but with a carbonized bamboo filament, it had a short life. This light bulb was not ideal for daily household usage, leading to the efforts to improve the design. Four years later, Latimer patented an improved light bulb with a more durable carbon filament. This revolutionized light bulb usage: the material used to improve the light bulb was cheap and produced a longer life.

On the side, Latimer focused on his inventions. One notable invention was the evaporative air conditioner, a forerunner in the creation of air conditioners.

Lewis Latimer’s many accomplishments paved the path for various improvements and innovations. Although he worked in the background to develop and protect patents, hopefully, this month, his achievements receiving due recognition will bring him into the spotlight.

Check out @vpmbsu on Instagram for more events and trivia about Black History Month!