Yearning to Learn

We can’t know everything. But we can yearn to learn more. I recently learned of Mr. Lewis Howard Latimer—an inventor, writer, and leader. Born in Massachusetts in 1848, he was the youngest son of slaves who escaped from Norfolk, Virginia, near my hometown. His family decided to split up and scatter to protect itself from the complicated laws facing escaped slaves. The Dred Scot Supreme Court decision required proof of freedom for former slaves and the ruthlessness of interstate slave catchers was notorious. Latimer’s father was represented in court by Frederick Douglass and was eventually able to purchase his freedom.

While working alongside Hiram Maxim, a competitor to Thomas Edison, Lewis Latimer improved the filament in lightbulbs which allowed the light-giving device to last longer than 15 hours (a vexing problem for the early lightbulb). He later worked with Thomas Edison on a variety of other Edison inventions. Latimer also became the first person of color to join the Edison Pioneers, an organization of those former employees of Thomas Edison. He then worked alongside Alexander G. Bell and drafted the patent for an early version of the telephone. This man absorbed the knowledge around him and improved upon it.

After serving in the U.S. Navy, Latimer got a job as an office clerk in a patent law firm. He later impressed his boss with his patent draftsmanship and got promoted to head draftsman, a job which earned him $20 a week. He later went on to earn eight patents for electrical systems for lamps and a device considered a forerunner to air conditioning. He authored a technical book on the topic of electrical lighting. He is also a member of the National Inventors Hall of Fame and the founder of a local chapter of the Unitarian Church in Queens, New York. This man was busy.

In 1879, Latimer moved his wife and children to an area of Bridgeport, Connecticut, called Little Liberia, and in a block known as the Freeman Houses. These houses had served as stops on the Underground Railroad. Mr. Latimer had also published a book of poems, wrote plays, painted portraits, and played the flute and violin. This man was talented and appreciated history.

Why should we care about Mr. Latimer? His story seems to be buried in the folds of the ever-expanding history of our country and lost in our fast-paced world. But these stories of individual triumph, in a time and in a system that posed every obstacle to success, intrigue me. I’m haunted by the fact that these stories are unknown to most Americans—and unknown to me until a chance encounter with a meme on Facebook. Yes, we’re learning our history on Facebook.

Mr. Latimer was certainly busy. And aren’t we all? We all desire to lead fulfilling and productive lives. And hopefully, our lives are surrounded by friends and loved ones who make the journey worthwhile. But when an individual also contributes to society in such a positive way, I yearn to learn more. Or maybe I’m just a sucker for a good story with an interesting and talented main character.

Our nation’s stories of individuals are woven into the fabric of our country. The more we know, the richer our collective understanding of each other will become.  

Who are your favorite unsung, historical figures whose stories need to be known?