Garrett Augustus Morgan was a successful African-American inventor and businessman. He invented the three-position traffic signal and gas mask. He also started a sewing equipment repair business and a newspaper, called the Cleveland Call.

Mr. Morgan was born to former slaves. He had only a sixth-grade education, but that didn't stop him from making a big impact in the world.

He received a patent for the first gas mask in 1914. His gas mask became popular after 1916 when he used it to rescue workers trapped in a tunnel below Lake Erie after an explosion.

He also has saved lives through his invention of the three-position traffic signal. Before his invention, traffic signals had either stop or go. Therefore, there were often accidents at intersections during the transition between the stop and go. After seeing a traffic accident, Mr. Morgan invented a third position when all traffic should stop. This third position made it less dangerous for the motorists (cars, horse and buggy, street cars) and allowed a time for pedestrians to cross the street. Mr. Morgan received a patent for his invention in 1923 and the rights to the invention were bought by General Electric. (source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Garrett August Morgan - Inventor and Businessman, https://cms7.dot.gov/connections/garrett-augustus-morgan-inventor-gas-mask-and-traffic-signal)

Note, the picture of Mr. Morgan is United States public domain where the copy right term is the author's life plus 70 years. The link is https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Morgan5.jpg