Inventors and Innovators
Who is Otis Boykin?
This African American inventor, born in 1920, is best known for his work on improving electrical components such as the pacemaker and the resistor.
Question: Who is Otis Boykin?
What is a television?
In addition to his work on pacemakers, Boykin also created improvements for this household appliance, which is used to control the flow of electricity.
Life saving technolagy.
Boykin patented more than 25 inventions, and in 1959, he developed a high-resistance this that became a vital part of military devices and electronics.
Otis' backstory.
Born in Dallas, Texas, this inventor became one of the most successful African American engineers of the 20th century, holding patents for several electronic devices.
What is cardiac pacemaker technology?
Boykin's work on resistors allowed this major advancement in the medical field, benefiting millions of people around the world.
What is a pacemaker?
Otis Boykin invented a key component for this life-saving device, helping to regulate the heart rate of patients with heart conditions.
What is physics?
Boykin earned his bachelor’s degree in this subject from Fisk University in 1941, though he was unable to afford further schooling.
What is electrical engineering?
Otis Boykin overcame racial barriers to become one of the first African American inventors to hold numerous patents in the field of electrical engineering.
What is engineering?
Otis Boykin earned his degree in this field from Fisk University in Nashville
What are consumer electronics and military devices?
Otis Boykin’s resistor design was so significant that it was used in everything from consumer electronics to military devices.
Fascinating descoveries
Boykin's work on this electronic component made it more reliable and less expensive, which was essential for many devices, including pacemakers and radios.
What are computers, televisions, and radios?
Boykin's improvements to resistor technology played a key role in the development of electronic devices such as computers, televisions, and radios.
What is Bendix Corporation?
In the 1950s, Otis Boykin worked for this company, which specialized in aerospace and defense electronics, helping to develop technologies used in missile guidance systems.
What is Fisk University?
Otis Boykin's early education took place at this historically Black university in Nashville, Tennessee, where he earned his degree in physics.
What is a resistor?
Otis Boykin's improved version of this component, which controls electrical flow in a circuit, became a key element in devices like computers and televisions.
What is Bendix Corporation?
Boykin worked for this major electronics company after leaving Fisk University, where he contributed to new technology in consumer electronics and military devices.
What are pacemakers and computers?
Otis Boykin died in 1982, but his contributions to electrical engineering continue to impact modern technologies like pacemakers and computers.
What are electronic circuits?
Boykin made a breakthrough in resistor technology in 1959, which led to improved reliability in these devices that are crucial for electronic circuits.
Struggles
Although he faced racial discrimination, Otis Boykin succeeded in patenting over 25 inventions, becoming one of the leading African American inventors of his time.
What are missile guidance systems?
Boykin's improvements to the electrical resistor were used in various military applications, including missile guidance systems.
What are electronic components?
Despite facing financial and racial barriers, Otis Boykin went on to hold more than 25 patents, many of which were in the field of electronic components.
What are missile guidance systems?
Boykin’s innovations in resistor technology were critical in the development of military hardware, especially in the creation of accurate missile guidance systems.
What is Chicago?
Otis Boykin moved to this city in the early 1940s, where he later began his career in electrical engineering.
What is Dallas, Texas?
Otis Boykin was born in 1920 in this Texas city, later becoming one of the most celebrated African American inventors of his time.
What is the heart?
The pacemaker, which relies on Otis Boykin’s resistor improvements, helps regulate this vital organ, keeping it in rhythm and preventing life-threatening issues.