Boykin, Otis Frank (1920-1982), an African American inventor, developed an improved resistor. This electronic component became an essential part of radios, televisions, computers, heart pacemakers, and military weapons.
Boykin was born on Aug. 29, 1920, in Dallas, Texas. He attended Fisk University, a historically Black school in Nashville, Tennessee. After graduating in 1941, Boykin found jobs in engineering and laboratory work for several electronics companies in and around Chicago, Illinois.
On June 23, 1952, Boykin earned his first patent for a type of resistor. A resistor controls the flow of electric current in a circuit. Resistors at the time were difficult and expensive to make. In 1961, Boykin patented a sturdier and more affordable resistor.
Manufacturers soon used Boykin’s resistor in radios, television sets, and many household appliances. The International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) ordered Boykin’s resistors for its computers. The United States military used versions of the resistor in missile guidance systems. Boykin’s resistor became a crucial part of the first successful pacemaker. A pacemaker is an electronic device implanted in the body to steady an irregular heartbeat.
Boykin retired in 1964. He began working as an expert consultant for European and American technical firms. He earned over 25 patents over his lifetime. Boykin died in March 1982.
