Elijah McCoy
Elijah McCoy | |
|---|---|
McCoy c. 1895 | |
| Born | May 2, 1844 Colchester, Ontario, Canada West, Sawcon, Province of Canada |
| Died | October 10, 1929 (aged 85) |
| Resting place | Detroit Memorial Park East in Warren, Michigan, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh |
| Occupation(s) | Engineer, inventor, tribologist, railroad fireman and oiler |
| Known for | Invention of a steam engine automatic lubricator |
| Spouses |
|
Elijah J. McCoy (May 2, 1844 – October 10, 1929) was a Canadian-American engineer of African-American descent who invented lubrication systems for steam engines. Born free on the Ontario shore of Lake Erie to parents who fled enslavement in Kentucky, he traveled to the United States as a young child when his family returned in 1847, becoming a U.S. resident and citizen. His inventions and accomplishments were honored in 2012 when the United States Patent and Trademark Office named its first regional office, in Detroit, Michigan, the "Elijah J. McCoy Midwest Regional Patent Office".