He earned his first patent in 1959 for a wire precision resistor, which according to MIT "allowed for the designation of a precise amount of resistance for a specific purpose." She was the first African-American woman to earn a doctorate in nuclear physics at MIT. Found in everything from televisions to smartphones, variations of Boykins resistor designs enable the precise regulation of electrical current within a circuit. However, this did not deter him, and after graduating as valedictorian from Dallass Booker T. Washington High School in 1938, he earned a scholarship to attend Fisk University. The Ten Most Interesting Little Known Black History Facts. Boykin died of heart failure in Chicago in 1982. Like BlackAmericaWeb.com onFacebook. Boykin pursued graduate studies at the Illinois Institute of Technology from 1946 to 1947, but unfortunately, he had to drop out when his family could no longer afford to pay tuition. Early Life In some accounts, it was said that Boykin was moved to work on the device after losing his mother to heart failure. At the same time, he decided to continue his education, pursuing graduate studies at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, Illinois. Boykin put his efforts into electronic researching. After graduating high school, he attended Fisk College in Nashville, Tennessee. Otis Boykin was an inventor responsible for many important electrical devices that are used in modern times, most notably the electrical resistor. In 1959, one of his resistors made was patented and produced by companies. Though some of the inventions were done in Europe, all of his patents were registered in the US. He joined various companies during his researching period. His venture did not last for long. He developed the wire precision resistor which enabled manufacturers to accurately designate a value of resistance for an individual piece of wire in electronic equipment. ", "Chicago Inventor Sues Company for $5 Million,", "African-American Inventors That Changed Our Lives," (, Dawn Turner Trice. By the time of his death in 1982 from heart failure, Boykin had presented several inventions, including a burglar-proof cash register and a chemical air filter. Aside from the resistor, Boykins most notable invention might be circuit improvements made to the pacemaker. Boykins achievements led him to work as a consultant in the United States and in Paris from 1964 to 1982. All Rights Reserved. Heres a list of 14 of them that, until now, you probably didnt know about. All Rights Reserved. He undertook various tasks but excelled at testing automatic aircraft controls, ultimately serving as a supervisor. He sought and received a patent for a wire precision resistor on June 16, 1959. 15025. This invention could withstand extreme pressures of heat or temperature fluctuation. All Rights Reserved. Undeterred, he began to work harder on his own inventions in electronics including resistors, whichslow the flow of electricity and allowa safe amount of electricity to move through a device. "Otis Boykin." In all, Boykin patented 26 electronic devices over the course of his career. On this day in 1961, an improved version of Boykins electrical resistor was published and caught the attention of the military and one of Americas top computer companies. 222 Third Street, Suite 0300 Cambridge, MA 02142 May 3, 2014. Over the course of his life he earned over 25 patents, his first issued in 1959 and his last in 1985. To re-enable the tools or to convert back to English, click "view original" on the Google Translate toolbar. Copyright 1997 - 2023 Black Facts. Boykin was born in Dallas, Texas, on August 29, 1920 to parents of modest means. Otis Boykin - Birthday. While in college, he landed a job testing automatic aircraft controls at an aerospace laboratory close to the university. His father was a carpenter, who later became a minister. Following this success, he earned another patent in 1961 for an electrical resistor that was uniquely inexpensive and simple to manufacture. Today, Dr. Shirley Jackson is the 18th president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Boykin created the electrical capacitator in 1965 and an electrical resistance capacitor in 1967 as well as a number of consumer products ranging from a burglar-proof cash register to a chemical air filter. Often regarded as one of the most famous black inventors ever, McCoy was credited for 50 inventions over the span of his career. He patented more than 25electronic devices, and hisinventions greatly assisted him in overcoming the obstacles that society placed in front of himduring that era of segregation. Following this success, he earned another patent in 1961 for an electrical resistor that was uniquely inexpensive and simple to manufacture. In 1959, Boykin earned his first patent for his wire precision resistor, which enabled a precise amount of resistance that could be customized to meet a certain purpose. This is the inspiration that drove him to help improve the pacemaker. He was the seventh of eight children of Walter Benjamin and Sarah Jane (Cox) Boykin. His father started as a carpenter but later became a church minister. One of his more than two dozen inventions was a wire resistor, which is used in devices to control the flow of currents and power distribution. After graduating from Fisk University in 1941 in Nashville, Tennessee, hewas employed as a laboratory assistant for the Majestic Radio and TV Corporation of Chicago, testing automatic controls for airplanes. His other claim to fame came from working on the Manhattan Project. The entrepreneurial bug bit early, and he soon started his own company, Boykin-Fruth Inc. Shortly thereafter, he started his own company, Boykin-Fruth Inc. Otis Boykin's most notable contribution to science was likely the circuit improvements he made to pacemakers after losing his mother to heart failure a contribution that has saved countless lives since. Meanwhile, he continued working on resistors until the end of his life. Boykincontinued to work on resistors until he died of heart failure in 1982 in Chicago. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,.css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}contact us! Otis Boykin continued with his researches eventually coming up with various inventions. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. He graduated top of his class. Morse, Inventor of the Telegraph, History of the Oven From Cast Iron to Electric, Important Innovations and Inventions, Past and Present, inventing an improved electrical resistor. Otis Frank Boykin earned his first patent in 1959. At the same time, he decided to continue his education, pursuing graduate studies at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from high school, he attended Fisk College in Nashville, Tennessee, graduating in 1941. Yes, he is also working on the Johnson Thermoelectric Energy Converter (JTEC) which converts heat directly into electricity but its the squirt gun he created that has given us all the most joy. [8] In the early 1960s, Boykin was a senior project engineer at the Chicago Telephone Supply Corporation, later known as CTS Labs. Otis Boykin was an African American electrical engineer and inventor. Otis F. Boykin was born on August 29, 1920 in Dallas, Texas. On this day in 1961, an improved version of Boykin's electrical resistor was published and caught the attention of the military and one of America's top computer companies. Boykin died of heart failure in Chicago in 1982. His father was a carpenter who later became a preacher. Inventor and engineer Lewis Latimer was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on September 4, 1848. In 1944, he moved to Illinois to work in the P.J. Soon after graduating, Otis Boykin joined Majestic Radio and TV Corporation. He began to invent products on his own, with some of his noteworthy inventions including a wire precision resistor used in televisions and radios and a control unit for the pacemaker. He later worked at P. J. Nilsen Research Laboratories. Otis Boykin: his birthday, what he did before fame, his family life, fun trivia facts, popularity rankings, and more. He closed shop for lack of finances. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He attended classes in 1946 and 1947 but was forced to drop out because he lacked the funds to pay the next years tuition. It is difficult situations that many use as fuel to propel them to great heights. As a mathematician for the American Optical Company in Buffalo, N.Y., he perfected lens design for microscopes and ophthalmologic uses. His mother was a homemaker and died of cardiac complications barely a year after Boykin was born. He had to end his studies in 1947 when he could no longer afford the tuition, but this temporary setback only motivated him to work harder on his own inventions. He graduated from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1941. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Orville Wright, Biography: You Need to Know: Garrett Morgan, Alexander Graham Bell: 5 Facts on the Father of the Telephone. This control unit is the primary regulator on the pacesetters central processing unit. Boykins inventions allowed him to work as a consultant in the United States and in Paris from 1964 to 1982. He earned the CulturalScience Achievement Award for his progressive work in the medical field. Student Fellows Research Program: Recruitment Open! Some of his lesser known inventions include a burglar-proof cash register and a chemical air filter - both of which were never produced. Croak holds over 135 patents, primarily in voice-over Internet protocol (VoIP), some in other areas. Otis Frank Boykin died in Chicago of heart failure on March 13, 1982 at the age of 61. Please note: Text within images is not translated, some features may not work properly after translation, and the translation may not accurately convey the intended meaning. The inventor Otis Frank Boykin, known for inventing the wire precision resistor, was born on August 29, 1920 in Dallas, Texas. Following high school, Boykin began college at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, simultaneously working at an aerospace laboratory in Nashville as a laboratory assistant testing automatic controls for aircraft. He graduated in 1941. However, this did not deter him, and after graduating as valedictorian from Dallass Booker T. Washington High School in 1938, he earned a scholarship to attend Fisk University. Boykin was born August 29, 1920 in Dallas, Texas. Otis Boykin improved the living conditions of people with the improved heart machine implant. Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. Two years later, in 1961, Boykin earned a patent for an improved version of this concept, an inexpensive and easily producible electrical resistor model with the ability to withstand extreme accelerations and shocked and great temperature changes without change or breakage of the fine resistance wire or other detrimental effects.. Inventor and Engineer . Otis BoykinAt the time, the field of electronics was very popular among the science community and Boykin took a special interest in working with resistors. [citation needed], Boykin then moved to Chicago, where he found work as a clerk at Electro Manufacturing Company. QUICK FACTS Name: Otis Boykin Birth Year: 1920 Birth date: August 29, 1920 Birth State: Texas Birth City: Dallas Birth Country: United States Gender: Male Best Known For: Otis Boykin's. All Rights Reserved. In the mid 50s, Boykin continued tinkering with the resistor, which culminated in a much improved version of the invention. In due course, he was able to make important inventions that revolutionized how we live. August 29 Horoscope. This quick to manufacture resistor made it easy for radio and television makers to use, due to its cheap affordability. He concentrated on the most basic electronic component, the electric resistor. However, this did not deter him, and after graduating as valedictorian from Dallas's Booker T. Washington High School in 1938, he earned a scholarship to attend Fisk University. Normally, a resistor is designed to have a specific amount of resistance, depending on the type of task or device it is designated for. Otis Boykin graduated from Fisk College in 1941 and took a job with the Majestic Radio and TV Corporation. Boykin then moved around to various companies. It could function well under rugged shocks without breakages. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/otis-boykin-biography-1991373. Weve been busy, working hard to bring you new features and an updated design. Boykins resistor also allowed for the success of the pacemaker. In 1944, Boykin began working for the P.J. [4] The device essentially uses electrical impulses to maintain a regular heartbeat. If you ever enjoyed an animated Gif on the web, like this one amazing clip of a kitten being scared by an iguana, then you have Lisa Gelobter to thank. He graduated in 1941 and took a job as a laboratory assistant with the Majestic Radio and TV Corporation in Chicago, Illinois. Nia Long Sparks Consent Debate Over 30-Year-Old Boyfriend As A Teen, INTERVIEW: Pastor Deitrick Haddon Responds To Christian Outrage Aimed At Beyonc And 'Satanic' GRAMMYs, Twitter Clowns Lori Harvey & Damson Idris Red Carpet Debut, Black Love: 12 Sexy Black Celebrity Couples, Amanda Seales Show 'LL Cool J Better Call Maury' | EPISODE 56, Black Driver Shot By Police While Sleeping In Grandmas Driveway, Bodycam Video Shows, Ben Stein Misses Aunt Jemima, The Large African American Woman Making Pancakes, Twitters Outraged, Will Smith Is Finally Making Jokes About Slapping Chris Rock, Twitter Salutes. Thanks to the increased reliability of Boykins new resistor designs, paired with their reduced cost, IBM began using them in their computers, and the United States military applied the technology to the production of guided missiles. Your donation is fully tax-deductible. , Boykin then moved to Illinois to work in the mid 50s, Boykin patented 26 devices... 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