Elijah McCoy

1
Elijah McCoy

• Ethnic Minorities in Science
• By Linda Iwamoto

2
George and Emily

• Elijah McCoys parents were George and Emily
  McCoy.
  
• Both were slaves in Kentucky in the early
  1800s.They fled to Canada via the underground
  railway on the Indiana-Ohio border.
  
• Once in Canada, George joined the army and fought
  in the 1837 rebel war.
  
• Because of his efforts in the war, George was
  given 160 acres of land in the town of Colchester.

3
Elijah McCoy

• Elijah was born on may 2, 1844, in Colchester,
  Ontario, Canada.
  
• As the son of a Canadian landowner Elijah was
  able to attend public school.
  
• At that time it was illegal for slaves to learn
  to read and write in the United States.
  
• Elijah became interested in mechanical devices in
  public school.
  
• At age 16, Elijah traveled to Europe to study
  mechanical engineering in Edinburgh, Scotland.

4
Changes in the United States

• While Elijah was studying in Europe the United
  States president issued the Emancipation
  Proclamation during the Civil War.
  
• Also during the United States Civil War, Abraham
  Lincoln began a campaign that allowed for Elijah
  to settle in the U.S. as a free man.
  
• Following the Civil War Elijah moved to
  Ypsilanti, Michigan.
  
• At this time it was still not common for black
  persons to be educated.
  

5
How it all began

• Because of his race Elijah had to settle for a
  job as an oilman for the Michigan Central
  Railroad.
  
• The steam engines were fueled with coal which the
  oilmen would shovel at a rate of two tons per
  hour.
  
• Because the hot high pressure steam was corrosive
  to most of the metals, a small layer of oil is
  required to protect and seal the pistons and
  cylinders. The oilers were frequently required to
  manually oil the machines causing downtime.

6
The Real McCoy

• At age 28 Elijah invented and patented an
  automatic oiling cup.
  
• This was not the first oil cup ever produced
  however its performance was far superior than
  the others.
  
• Other imitations of his oiler were not
  successful, and his design became the industry
  standard.
  
• Locomotive engineers were only interested in
  using his design often asking for the real
  McCoy.

7
Family

• In 1868 Elijah married Ann Elizabeth Stewart.
• In 1872 Ann died just 25 years old.
• In 1873 Elijah married his second wife Mary
  Eleanora Delaney, also a child of runaway
  slaves.
  
• In 1882 Elijah and Mary moved to Detroit
  Michigan.
  
• Elijah was employed as a mechanical consultant in
  several companies, while Mary became active in
  the Womens Suffrage Movement (established to
  gain voting rights for women).

8
Elijah and Mary

• Elijah and Mary were actively involved with the
  young people of Detroit, Michigan.
  
• In the 1800s Mary was the only black charter
  member of the Twentieth Century Club, comprised
  of prominent women in Detroit.
  
• In 1924 Elijah and Mary were involved in a tragic
  automobile accident. Mary passed away, while
  Elijahs health slowly deteriorated.
  
• In 1928 Elijah was admitted to Eliose Infirmary.
  He passed away in 1929 on senile dementia caused
  by hypertension.

9
Other Accomplishments

• Other patents include
• Portable ironing board
• Rubber heal for shoe souls
• A lawn sprinkler
• Graphite lubricator
• Elijah considered this his greatest invention.
• It was built for the need of an effective
  lubrication system for the locomotive air brake
  pistons and cylinders.
  
• Elijah had over 50 patents, most having to due
  with the steam engine.

10
Still More

• In 1920 Elijah opened his own company called the
  Elijah McCoy Manufacturing Co.
  
• Variations of his famous oiler are still used
  today in mining, construction, manufacturing and
  space exploration.
  
• In 1975 the city of Detroit, Michigan built a
  monument in his honor. The city also named a
  street (Elijah McCoy Drive) after him.