Garrett Augustus Morgan Sr. (March 4, 1877 – July 27, 1963) was an African American innovator, entrepreneur, newspaper publisher, community figure, and philanthropist. His creations and civic contributions enhanced daily living for countless individuals. He is primarily recognized for devising an early gas mask, referred to as the “safety hood” or “smoke hood,” which preserved lives during a 1916 tunnel catastrophe beneath Lake Erie and later shaped military gas masks during World War I. He also conceived and patented the three-position traffic signal in 1923, introducing a “caution” indication between “stop” and “go,” significantly bolstering road safety.
Morgan crafted a prosperous range of hair-care products, which included a chemical hair-straightening cream and associated tools that he marketed through his own enterprise, the G. A. Morgan Hair Refining Company, eventually gaining profitability and employing numerous individuals in Cleveland. He established and published the Cleveland Call newspaper in 1920 (which later merged into the Cleveland Call and Post), co-founded the Cleveland Association of Colored Men (which subsequently allied with the NAACP), supported historically Black colleges and universities, acquired land for a Black-friendly country club near Wakeman, Ohio, and participated on various community boards. Morgan’s innovations and entrepreneurial achievements emerged despite the intense racial discrimination of the Jim Crow period; he frequently encountered obstacles in promoting his products and receiving appropriate acknowledgment for his valor, yet he remained engaged in civic affairs and philanthropy until declining health and glaucoma rendered him virtually blind in his later years.
Here is a brief overview of pivotal facts regarding Garrett Morgan:
| Full Name | Garrett Augustus Morgan Sr. |
| Date of Birth | March 4, 1877 |
| Date of Death | July 27, 1963 |
| Age at Death | 86 years old |
| Birthplace | Paris, Kentucky, United States |
| Ethnicity | African American (with some Native American heritage through his mother) |
| Height | Approximately 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) – estimated from historical images and documents |
| Most Famous For | Inventing an early gas mask (“safety hood”), the three-position traffic signal, and hair-straightening products |
| Net Worth at Death (1963 equivalent) | Estimated $200,000–$500,000 (approximately $2–$5 million in 2025–2026 dollars adjusted for inflation) |
Garrett Morgan Biography
Garrett Augustus Morgan Sr. was born on March 4, 1877, in Paris, Kentucky, a locality predominantly African American at the time. He was the seventh of eleven siblings. His father, Sydney Morgan, had experienced enslavement and later served as an aide to a Confederate general during the Civil War. His mother, Elizabeth Reed, was the offspring of Rev. Garrett Reed and possessed some Native American heritage. Garrett grew up in Claysville, Kentucky, and attended Branch Elementary School until sixth grade. Like many Black children in the South after Reconstruction, he left school prematurely to assist in supporting his large family.
In 1891, at the age of 14, Garrett relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio, in search of better prospects. He worked as a handyman for an affluent landowner and enlisted a private tutor to continue his education. In 1895, he migrated to Cleveland, Ohio, where he repaired sewing machines for a garment company. His mechanical abilities earned him a reputation as a dependable repairman. He invented a belt fastener and a zigzag attachment for sewing machines to enhance their productivity. In 1907, he launched his own sewing machine repair shop.
In 1908, Garrett contributed to founding the Cleveland Association of Coloured Men, a civic organization that later became part of the NAACP. He acted as its treasurer. In 1909, he and his second spouse, Mary Anne Hassek, who was a Czech immigrant, inaugurated Morgan’s Cut Rate Ladies’ Clothing Store. The store produced coats, suits, dresses, and other garments and, over time, employed 32 individuals. Around 1910, Garrett began concentrating more on inventing his own devices, securing his first patent in 1912.
More
Between 1913 and 1914, he established the G. A. Morgan Hair Refining Company after identifying a chemical solution that straightened hair (initially realized when it polished sewing-machine needles and incidentally straightened fabric). The company marketed hair-straightening cream, hair dye, and a curved-tooth straightening comb, becoming profitable and employing numerous Cleveland residents.
In 1914, Garrett patented his “safety hood smoke protection device” (an early gas mask), which employed a moist sponge to filter smoke and draw cooler, cleaner air from near the ground via tubes. He founded the National Safety Device Company to promote it and won first prize at the 1914 Second International Exposition of Safety and Sanitation in New York. To showcase the hood, he sometimes disguised himself as “Big Chief Mason,” a fictional Native American figure, and entered tents filled with toxic smoke from tar, sulfur, formaldehyde, and manure, remaining inside for 20 minutes unharmed.
On July 24, 1916, Garrett’s hood gained fame when he orchestrated a rescue following an explosion in a water-intake tunnel 50 feet below Lake Erie in Cleveland. Two preceding rescue attempts had failed, resulting in several rescuers perishing from smoke and fumes. Garrett was summoned in the middle of the night, brought four hoods, and entered the tunnel multiple times, making at least four trips himself. He aided in saving trapped workers and retrieving the deceased bodies. Despite his valor, Cleveland newspapers and officials initially excluded his name from lists of heroes due to racial bias. It took years and public demand for him to receive a diamond-studded gold medal from a local organization. Fire departments, hospitals, and factories nationwide subsequently adopted his hood, and it left a lasting impact on U.S. Army gas masks during World War I.
Updates
As of January 2026, Garrett Morgan’s legacy continues to be widely acknowledged and honored. Some recent highlights include:
- Continuous STEM education initiatives and inventor showcases in Cleveland, Paris (Kentucky), and Cincinnati schools that incorporate Morgan’s life narrative and inventions into Black History Month and year-round educational programs.
- The Garrett Morgan Museum and educational exhibits at the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland remain popular destinations for visitors and school groups.
- His traffic signal design continues to be referenced in contemporary traffic engineering manuals and safety campaigns. Replicas are featured in exhibitions, including the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
- In the 2020s, documentaries, children’s literature, and animated shorts about Morgan have been produced or re-released. New interest in his narrative has emerged as further attention is given to Black inventors and their contributions to science and public safety.
- The River Phoenix Centre for Peacebuilding, co-founded by River Phoenix’s mother Heart Phoenix, who has a distant familial connection to Morgan through Cleveland activism, periodically highlights Morgan’s civic activities in its programs.
- No significant new biographical revelations, lost patents, or undiscovered inventions have surfaced in 2024 or 2025. However, Morgan’s story is still featured in revised U.S. history textbooks and in engineering curricula that emphasize diversity.
Wife
Garrett Morgan was married two times:
- Madge Nelson (married 1896 – divorced 1898) — His first
- spouse; the union was short-lived and concluded with a separation after two years. No offspring are documented from this partnership.
- Mary Anne Hassek (wed 1908 – his passing in 1963) — His subsequent spouse, a Czech immigrant. They welcomed three children: John Pierpont Morgan, Garrett Augustus Morgan Jr., and Cosmo Hamlin Morgan. Mary Anne was a steadfast partner throughout Garrett’s journey in the arts and commerce, assisting with the apparel store and family dynamics. They stayed married for 55 years until Garrett’s passing in 1963.
Innovations
Garrett Morgan possessed numerous patents and developed items that enhanced safety and everyday existence:
- Hair-straightening lotion and associated products (approx. 1905–1910) — Found inadvertently while creating a lubricant for sewing machines; evolved into a chemical hair-refining lotion, dye, and curved-tooth straightening comb. Marketed through the G. A. Morgan Hair Refining Company.
- Safety hood / smoke hood / early respiratory mask (patented 1914) — A protective breathing apparatus featuring a damp sponge filter and tubes that drew cleaner air from lower levels. Achieved first place at the 1914 Second International Exposition of Safety and Sanitation. Utilized in the 1916 Lake Erie tunnel rescue and affected U.S. military gas masks during World War I.
- Three-position traffic light (patented 1923) — Manually controlled signal featuring “stop,” “go,” and an intermediate “caution” position to enhance intersection safety. Sold the rights to General Electric for $40,000.
- Other minor creations — Such as a belt fastener and zigzag attachment for sewing machines, along with a self-extinguishing cigarette design in later years.
Heritage
Garrett Morgan was an African American with partial Native American lineage. His father, Sydney Morgan, was a freedman of African ancestry who had been enslaved prior to the Civil War. His mother, Elizabeth Reed, was the offspring of Rev. Garrett Reed and possessed some Native American roots (likely through earlier intermarriage in the family line). Morgan was born into a Black community in Paris, Kentucky, and identified completely as African American throughout his existence. He encountered considerable racial bias in marketing his inventions and attaining recognition, yet he emerged as a prominent civic figure and businessman in Cleveland’s Black community.
Respiratory Mask
Garrett Morgan’s most renowned invention is the safety hood smoke protection apparatus (patented in 1914), widely viewed as an early iteration of the contemporary gas mask. The device included:
- A canvas hood positioned over the head.
- A damp sponge filter to cool and purify incoming air.
- Air-intake tubes extending downward to draw breathable air from the ground level (as smoke and harmful fumes rise).
- Goggles to safeguard the eyes.
Morgan illustrated the hood’s effectiveness by entering tents filled with dense, harmful smoke from burning tar, sulfur, formaldehyde, and manure, remaining inside for up to 20 minutes without injury. He occasionally performed as “Big Chief Mason,” a fictional Native American character, to gain access to locations that might otherwise have barred him due to his race.
The invention gained fame on July 24, 1916, when an explosion trapped workers in a water-intake tunnel 50 feet beneath Lake Erie in Cleveland. Following two unsuccessful rescue attempts that claimed several rescuers, Morgan arrived with four hoods, entered the tunnel multiple times, and assisted in saving men while also recovering the bodies of those who perished. Even though he was hailed as a hero, Cleveland newspapers and officials initially omitted his name from hero lists due to racism. It required public pressure for him to be awarded a diamond-studded gold medal. The device was subsequently sold to fire departments, hospitals, and factories nationwide, and it influenced U.S. Army gas masks during World War I.
Wealth
At the time of his death on July 27, 1963, Garrett Morgan’s net worth is estimated to have ranged from $200,000–$500,000 (equivalent to approximately $2–$5 million in 2025–2026 dollars when adjusted for inflation). This amount represents:
- Earnings from the G. A. Morgan Hair Refining Company, which sold hair-straightening lotion, dye, and combs and provided employment for dozens in Cleveland.
- $40,000 received from General Electric for the rights to his 1923 traffic-signal patent (a considerable sum in the 1920s).
- Revenue from his sewing machine repair shop, clothing store (Morgan’s Cut Rate Ladies Clothing Store), and other small business endeavors.
- Property investments, including a farm and the Wakeman Country Club near Wakeman, Ohio.
Morgan was financially secure for his era, particularly given the racial challenges he encountered, but he was not excessively affluent. After his passing, his estate supported his family and various charities. There were no significant financial disputes or substantial debts reported.
