Otis Boykin
Despite living in an era of racial segregation and unable to complete his study, Black Inventor notes that Otis received his first patent in 1959 for a wire resistor that allowed a precise amount of electricity to flow to a component. “Two years later, he created an even better resistor that could be manufactured inexpensively and withstand extreme temperature changes and shock. A low-cost product that was more reliable, the invention brought Otis Boykin to the forefront of American electronics,” Black Inventor wrote. His version of his resistor was used in the invention of the pacemaker, a device which keeps the heart beating regularly through electronic pulses. His invention has helped to extend the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals.
