African-American History Month Spotlight: Granville T. Woods

Everyone loves an underdog story and I am no exception. The story of how Granville T. Woods rose from leaving school at the age of 10 to become one of the early pioneers of telecommunications and one of the greatest inventors of all time is nothing short of inspirational.

Granville T. Woods was born in Columbus, OH in 1856. Though Ohio was a free state he was still subject to "black laws" which were special laws set aside for African-Americans which perpetuated segregation. Granville was allowed to attend public schools, but only until the age of 10. Then he had to go out and work.


He had a very curious mind and was naturally inclined toward how machinery and electricity worked. The railroad was a natural fit. He also worked as a machinist, blacksmith, fireman, steelworker and boat engineer, but the railroad was his love. Realizing the value of education he would teach himself and take private lessons after work. Because African-Americans were not allowed to check out books from libraries he would have his friends get books for him. Eventually he earned a degree in mechanical and electric engineering by attending night classes after work. However being an African-American in a college at that time there are no records on which school he attended.


With his brother he then started the Woods Railway Telegraph Company. Granville's first patent was awarded for an improved telephone transmitter (the mouthpiece you speak into). However due to patent laws at the time the patent was assigned to Alexander Graham Bell. A few months later Granville's second patent was awarded for the "telegraphony". The telegraphony allowed voice transmissions to travel over a telegraph line. An important telecommunications invention indeed as it was first to allow voice and data transmissions over the same wire. This gave people the ability to send personal telegraph transmissions without having to know Morse code. The telegraphony was so successful that Alexander Graham Bell purchased the patent and with the money Granville T. Woods was financially able to spend full time inventing.


Turning his mind back to the railroad he came up with his next important invention, the "Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph". A large problem at the time was that trains had no way of communicating with each other or the dispatch office. This created an obviously dangerous situation. Granville's invention took care of this problem by allowing trains to communicate with each other using the copper wire which was laid along rail road tracks. Dispatch offices then knew the location of trains and what tracks they were on. In the process this invention went on to save potentially hundreds, if not thousands of human lives.

In his lifetime Granville Woods went on to claim 60 patents which earned him the nickname of "The Black Edison". His invention of the electric third rail is still in use today with many railroads and subways around the world. Another of his great inventions was the Electric Trolley which allowed trolley cars to be powered by overhead electric lines instead of being pulled by horses. We still see these in use in downtown San Francisco and Philadelphia. Most of his inventions revolved around railway safety however he also invented the egg incubator. Granville T. Woods passed away in 1910 a very successful man.


After researching this man's life I am beginning to wonder whether we should start referring to Edison as "The White Granville Woods".