On a recent visit to the Western Reserve Historical Society, Sandra Morgan, director of external affairs and communications in Kent State's College of Arts and Sciences, came face-to-mask with a replica of one of her grandfather's inventions.
The safety hood on display is a replica of one created by Cleveland inventor Garrett Morgan. In 1916, Morgan used his invention to rescue several workers trapped in a gas-filled waterworks tunnel under Lake Erie after an explosion. Morgan was a leader in Cleveland's Black community and his accomplishments include the invention of a traffic signal and hair care products as well as the founding of the Cleveland Call newspaper.
In Cleveland, the Garrett A. Morgan Water Treatment Plant was named in his his honor as well at the Garrett Morgan Campus, which is home to the Garrett Morgan School of Leadership and Innovation and the Garrett Morgan School of Engineering in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD).
Kent State recently entered into a partnership with the Western Reserve Historical Society enabling unique access in sharing resources and expertise as well as real-world experiences for students and faculty in the Department of History.
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