Advances in technology come from the tireless efforts of scientists and inventors who help solve complex problems and positively impact our lives every day. Inventors like Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison are household names; however, there are many Black women inventors and patent holders who are often forgotten yet have transformed our way of life.
The names of inventors like Sarah E. Goode and Valerie Thomas may be less familiar, but their impacts are just as important. Ahead, we share the stories and inventions of four Black women who helped propel science and innovation forward. We also share how the work of philanthropist, engineer and patent holder Robert F. Smith is helping to keep this legacy of innovation alive today.
Four Black Women Inventors Who Pushed Technology Forward
These are the stories of four Black women inventors you should know about.
1. Sarah E. Goode, First Black Woman Patent Holder
Sarah E. Goode was the first Black woman known to file a patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 1885. Goode was born in 1850 and moved to Chicago during Reconstruction. She opened a furniture store there with her husband, Archibald, who worked as a carpenter.
Since most of her customers lived in small apartments, she patented a design for a bed that could fold into a cabinet, maximizing space. This design was the predecessor to the now-popular Murphy bed and instantly increased the quality of life for people living in crowded spaces. It also solidified her legacy as a savvy entrepreneur and inventor.
2. Marie Van Brittan Brown, Inventor of the First Patented Home Security System
In the mid-1900s, Queens-born Marie Van Brittan Brown worked as a nurse while her husband worked as an electrician. The crime rate was high at the time, and the police were slow to respond to calls in their neighborhood. Working unconventional hours, Marie and her husband were more at risk coming in and out of their apartment at night and in the early morning.
To make her apartment safer for her family, Van Brittan Brown invented the first home security system. She patented her innovation in 1969, which included speakers, closed-circuit television monitoring, automatic locks and a panic button that would notify the police that there was an intruder. Her patented system was the blueprint for modern home security systems like Ring.
3. Valerie Thomas, Inventor of the Illusion Transmitter
In 1980, NASA physicist Valerie Thomas patented the illusion transmitter, an optical innovation that created the illusion of dimension using light and mirrors. This became the precursor for 3D technology and is now used by surgeons to generate images inside of the human body.
Born in Maryland in 1943, Thomas was interested in technology from an early age. As a young, Black female student in high school, she was not encouraged to pursue subjects like mathematics and physics. But at Morgan State University, she decided to major in physics and became one of just two women in the program, a decision that would change the trajectory of her life. She later became a data analyst at NASA, beginning a distinguished legacy as a scientist and inventor.
4. Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D., Telecommunications Technology Innovator
Born in Washington, D.C. in 1946, Dr. Shirley Jackson attended MIT in the 1960s as one of the few Black students in her class. She experienced social isolation, but her initial experience taught her resilience, which she carried on through her studies and career. She eventually became the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. from MIT in 1973.
After receiving her doctorate, Dr. Jackson accepted a position at Bell Labs in New Jersey, where she collaborated on research that would enable the creation of touch tone phones, Caller I.D. and clear long-distance phone calls. She served as Chairwoman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the Clinton administration – the first woman and first Black American to hold the position – and later as president of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1999. Throughout her career, she has remained a champion for diversity and inclusion. In 2016, she received the National Medal of Science from President Obama for her work and support of future generations entering STEM fields.
Keeping The Spirit of Innovation Alive Today
Philanthropist and innovator Robert F. Smith is dedicated to education reform and ensuring that students from communities that often lack opportunities are provided access. He also has several patents credited to him, which he earned during his career as an engineer.
Since graduating from Cornell University with a degree in chemical engineering, Smith has made many gifts to the university’s engineering program, including a $15 million gift in 2022 for engineering student aid. His gifts have created pathways to STEM education for students from urban high schools and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
In 2016, Smith donated to Cornell’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering which Fund II Foundation, an organization he founded, matched to create career pathways for Black and female STEM students. The university honored him by renaming the school from which he graduated the “Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.”
Smith is an advocate for diversity in STEM, helping engage a new generation of STEM leaders through his philanthropic endeavors. Learn more about his support for STEM education, women scientists and HBCUs by following him on LinkedIn.
