Granville Woods

African-American inventor who transformed railway and electrical systems despite racial barriers

Granville T. Woods (1856-1910), known as the 'Black Edison', revolutionized transportation and communication through 60+ patents. His 1887 Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph prevented train collisions by enabling moving trains to communicate, acquired by General Electric.

Key innovations include:

• Third Rail system for subway power (1893)
• Automatic air brake improvements
• Telephone transmitter advancements

Woods founded Woods Electric Company in Cincinnati, facing constant legal battles against patent infringements – including from Thomas Edison. His 1901 Power Pickup Device became fundamental to modern electrified transit systems.

Despite minimal formal education, Woods taught himself engineering and fought racial discrimination through technological excellence. His inventions laid groundwork for:

• Mass transit electrification
• Railroad safety systems
• Wireless communication precursors

Historian Rayvon Fouché notes in Black Inventors in the Age of Segregation that Woods' success challenged stereotypes of African-Americans' technical capabilities, influencing later innovators like Lewis Latimer.