author
Henry E. (Henry Edwin) Baker
1857–1928
A pioneering researcher of Black invention, this early patent examiner helped preserve the stories of African American inventors at a time when their work was often ignored. His life also included a remarkable, difficult first: he was among the earliest Black men admitted to the U.S. Naval Academy.
1 Audiobook
The colored inventor : a record of fifty years
by Henry E. (Henry Edwin) Baker
About the author
Born in Mississippi in 1857, Henry Edwin Baker became known for careful, determined work in public service. He entered the U.S. Naval Academy as the third African American admitted there, but racist harassment cut that chapter short.
He went on to build a long career at the United States Patent Office, eventually serving as an assistant patent examiner. Baker is especially remembered for documenting the achievements of African American inventors and gathering evidence of their patents and innovations, work that helped challenge false ideas about Black creativity and scientific ability.
He also studied law at Howard University and wrote about Black inventors and industrial progress. Today, he stands out as an important recorder of American innovation as well as a figure of persistence in the face of discrimination.