First Student’s Diversity & Inclusion Council (D&IC) is proud to recognize Elijah McCoy during Black History Month.
Elijah McCoy was an inventor who received more than 50 patents for his inventions. The Canadian-born inventor is most famously known for his invention to solve the problem of engine lubrication and overheating in 1872.
Before his invention, trains needed to stop and be lubricated to prevent overheating. With McCoy’s system of a cup feeding lubricating oil to machine bearings, this was no longer an issue. His invention improved transit and allowed trains to travel farther without stopping.
Soon, with improvements, McCoy’s invention was used in transatlantic ships and factory machines. Wary of cheap substitutes, users of his product often asked for “the real McCoy,” a phrase still used today.
McCoy was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2001.
You can learn more about Elijah McCoy at thoughtco.com