Black History Month: Awesome Contributions to the Tech Industry

Celebrating Black History Month in the PCY Tech Lab

Awesome Tech Contributions by Awesome Americans

Study Guide

​Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, PhD

Multiple Choice

Dr. Shirley Jackson's contribution to the Tech Industry is:

• developing the Fairchild Channel F gaming console, in 1976, which featured the industry's first removable game cartridges.

• inventing the Laserphaco Probe for cataract treatment in 1986

• inventions included an evaporative air conditioner, an improved process for manufacturing carbon filaments for light bulbs, and an improved toilet system for railroad cars.

• breakthrough basic scientific research that enabled others to invent the portable fax, touch tone telephone, solar cells, fiber optic cables, and the technology behind caller ID and call waiting.

Dr. Lewis Latimer

Multiple Choice

Dr. Lewis Latimer's contribution to the Tech Industry is:

• developing the Fairchild Channel F gaming console, in 1976, which featured the industry's first removable game cartridges.

• inventing the Laserphaco Probe for cataract treatment in 1986

• inventions included an evaporative air conditioner, an improved process for manufacturing carbon filaments for light bulbs, and an improved toilet system for railroad cars.

• breakthrough basic scientific research that enabled others to invent the portable fax, touch tone telephone, solar cells, fiber optic cables, and the technology behind caller ID and call waiting.

Katherine Johnson

Multiple Choice

Katherine Johnson's contribution to the Tech Industry is:

• inventing the Laserphaco Probe for cataract treatment in 1986

• carbon filament improvements to the light bulb which provided longevity

• inventions included an evaporative air conditioner, an improved process for manufacturing carbon filaments for light bulbs, and an improved toilet system for railroad cars.

• calculating the trajectory of astronaut Alan Shepard's historic 1961 flight, when Shepard became the first American to reach space.

Jerry Lawson

Multiple Choice

Jerry Lawson's contribution to the Tech Industry is:

• developing the Fairchild Channel F gaming console, in 1976, which featured the industry's first removable game cartridges.

• inventing the Laserphaco Probe for cataract treatment in 1986

• inventions included an evaporative air conditioner, an improved process for manufacturing carbon filaments for light bulbs, and an improved toilet system for railroad cars.

• breakthrough basic scientific research that enabled others to invent the portable fax, touch tone telephone, solar cells, fiber optic cables, and the technology behind caller ID and call waiting.

Dr. James E. West

Multiple Choice

Dr. James E West's contribution to the Tech Industry is:

• developing the Fairchild Channel F gaming console, in 1976, which featured the industry's first removable game cartridges.

• developing the electret transducer technology later used in 90 percent of contemporary microphones

• inventions included an evaporative air conditioner, an improved process for manufacturing carbon filaments for light bulbs, and an improved toilet system for railroad cars.

• breakthrough basic scientific research that enabled others to invent the portable fax, touch tone telephone, solar cells, fiber optic cables, and the technology behind caller ID and call waiting.

Dr. Garrett Morgan

Multiple Choice

Dr. Garrett Morgan contribution to the Tech Industry is:

• developing the Fairchild Channel F gaming console, in 1976, which featured the industry's first removable game cartridges.

• developing the electret transducer technology later used in 90 percent of contemporary microphones

• inventing the three position traffic signal. After witnessing an accident on a roadway, Morgan decided a device was needed to keep cars, buggies and pedestrians from colliding. His traffic signal was designed to stand on a street corner and notify vehicles and walkers whether they should stop or go.

• breakthrough basic scientific research that enabled others to invent the portable fax, touch tone telephone, solar cells, fiber optic cables, and the technology behind caller ID and call waiting.

Dr. Granville T. Woods

Multiple Choice

Dr. Granville T. Woods' contribution to the Tech Industry is:

• developing the Fairchild Channel F gaming console, in 1976, which featured the industry's first removable game cartridges.

• developing the electret transducer technology later used in 90 percent of contemporary microphones

• inventing the three position traffic signal. After witnessing an accident on a roadway, Morgan decided a device was needed to keep cars, buggies and pedestrians from colliding. His traffic signal was designed to stand on a street corner and notify vehicles and walkers whether they should stop or go.

• type of communication called the induction telegraph system. The system allowed moving trains to communicate, helping them avoid collisions and dangers on the tracks. It also helped dispatchers locate trains.

Dr. Jesse E. Russell, Sr.

Multiple Choice

Dr. Jesse E. Russell, Sr.'s contribution to the Tech Industry is:

• developing the Fairchild Channel F gaming console, in 1976, which featured the industry's first removable game cartridges.

• inventing the first digital cellphone. He holds patents and continues to invent and innovate in the emerging area of next generation broadband wireless networks, technologies and services, often referred to as 4G

• inventing the three position traffic signal. After witnessing an accident on a roadway, Morgan decided a device was needed to keep cars, buggies and pedestrians from colliding. His traffic signal was designed to stand on a street corner and notify vehicles and walkers whether they should stop or go.

• type of communication called the induction telegraph system. The system allowed moving trains to communicate, helping them avoid collisions and dangers on the tracks. It also helped dispatchers locate trains.

Dr. Mark Dean

Multiple Choice

Dr. Mark Dean's contribution to the Tech Industry is:

• helping to develop a number of landmark technologies for IBM, including the color PC monitor and the first gigahertz chip. He also invented the Industry Standard Architecture system bus with engineer Dennis Moeller, allowing for computer plug-ins such as disk drives and printers

• inventing the first digital cellphone. He holds patents and continues to invent and innovate in the emerging area of next generation broadband wireless networks, technologies and services, often referred to as 4G

• inventing the three position traffic signal. After witnessing an accident on a roadway, Morgan decided a device was needed to keep cars, buggies and pedestrians from colliding. His traffic signal was designed to stand on a street corner and notify vehicles and walkers whether they should stop or go.

• type of communication called the induction telegraph system. The system allowed moving trains to communicate, helping them avoid collisions and dangers on the tracks. It also helped dispatchers locate trains.

Gladys West

Multiple Choice

Dr. Gladys West's contribution to the Tech Industry is:

• her work on the development of the satellite geodesy models that were eventually incorporated into the Global Positioning System

• inventing the first digital cellphone. He holds patents and continues to invent and innovate in the emerging area of next generation broadband wireless networks, technologies and services, often referred to as 4G

• patenting the PDA, personal digital assistant, also known as a handheld PC, is a variety mobile device which

• type of communication called the induction telegraph system. The system allowed moving trains to communicate, helping them avoid collisions and dangers on the tracks. It also helped dispatchers locate trains.

Annie Easley

Multiple Choice

Annie Easley's contribution to the Tech Industry is:

• her work on the development of the satellite geodesy models that were eventually incorporated into the Global Positioning System

• inventing the first digital cellphone. He holds patents and continues to invent and innovate in the emerging area of next generation broadband wireless networks, technologies and services, often referred to as 4G

• writing the important computer program that controlled the rocket fuel mixture for the Centaur rocket, which blasted numerous satellites and space probes into orbit.

• type of communication called the induction telegraph system. The system allowed moving trains to communicate, helping them avoid collisions and dangers on the tracks. It also helped dispatchers locate trains.

Dorothy Vaughn

Multiple Choice

Dorothy Vaughn's contribution to the Tech Industry is:

• her work on the development of the satellite geodesy models that were eventually incorporated into the Global Positioning System

• became an expert FORTRAN programmer, and she also contributed to the Scout Launch Vehicle Program

• writing the important computer program that controlled the rocket fuel mixture for the Centaur rocket, which blasted numerous satellites and space probes into orbit.

• type of communication called the induction telegraph system. The system allowed moving trains to communicate, helping them avoid collisions and dangers on the tracks. It also helped dispatchers locate trains.