Elevators transformed American cities, allowing buildings to rise higher and making upper floors more accessible. But early elevator travel carried a serious danger: doors had to be opened and closed manually, and an elevator shaft could remain exposed if someone failed to secure it properly.

Alexander Miles, a Black inventor, barber and businessman, developed an innovative solution. His patented mechanism helped elevators operate their car and shaft doors automatically, making elevator travel safer and more convenient.

The danger of early elevators

By the late 19th century, elevators were appearing in hotels, offices and other multistory buildings. Although they made vertical travel easier, many depended on operators or passengers to close the doors manually.

A carelessly opened shaft door could expose an empty elevator shaft. Miles recognized that elevator safety could not always depend on someone remembering to close every door.

He designed a system that connected the movement of the elevator car with the operation of its doors.

Alexander Miles’ elevator innovation

On October 11, 1887, Miles received U.S. Patent No. 371,207 for what he described as “new and useful improvements in elevators.”

His design addressed two related problems. It provided a way to close shaft openings above and below the elevator car, and it allowed the movement of the car to help open and close the elevator doors at the appropriate floor.

Miles’s mechanism used a flexible belt attached to the elevator car, along with drums positioned at the top and bottom of the shaft. A system of levers, rollers and specially designed grooves helped control the car and shaft doors as the elevator moved.

The goal was straightforward but potentially lifesaving: prevent elevator-shaft openings from being left unprotected because of human negligence.

Did Alexander Miles invent the elevator door?

Alexander Miles is sometimes described as the inventor of the automatic elevator door. The complete history is more complicated.

John W. Meaker received a patent for an earlier automatic elevator-door mechanism in 1874, approximately 13 years before Miles received his patent. Therefore, Miles should not be credited with inventing the first automatic elevator door.

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What Miles did was develop and patent his own important improvement to the way elevator car and shaft doors operated. His design advanced the effort to make elevators safer, more reliable and easier to use.

Recognizing that distinction does not diminish his accomplishment. Invention is often a continuing process in which engineers and innovators improve existing technology. Miles contributed a valuable new solution to a dangerous problem.

More than an inventor

Born in 1838, Alexander Miles built a successful life during an era when Black Americans faced severe restrictions on economic opportunity.

Miles worked as a barber before establishing himself in Duluth, Minnesota. He operated a barbershop in the city’s St. Louis Hotel and invested in real estate. He also became the first Black member of the Duluth Chamber of Commerce.

His achievements extended beyond mechanical invention. In Chicago, Miles later established the United Brotherhood, an organization intended to provide life insurance to Black Americans who were frequently denied coverage by established insurance companies.

That part of his story demonstrates the larger scope of his work. Miles was not only interested in solving mechanical problems. He also attempted to create economic security and opportunity for members of his community.

A lasting contribution to elevator safety

Modern elevators use far more sophisticated electrical controls, sensors and computerized safety systems than those available during Miles’s lifetime. His exact mechanism is not the system operating inside every elevator today.

However, the safety principle behind his work remains essential: an elevator should coordinate the movement of the car with the opening and closing of its doors, while preventing passengers from entering an unprotected shaft.

In recognition of his contribution, Alexander Miles was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2007.

Remembering Alexander Miles accurately

Alexander Miles did not invent the elevator, and he was not the first person to patent an automatic elevator-door system. He was a creative Black inventor who recognized a serious safety hazard and developed a patented method for addressing it.

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Everyday technologies are rarely the work of only one person. They develop through generations of experimentation, refinement and improvement. Miles deserves recognition as one of the innovators who helped move elevator technology toward the safer automatic operation passengers now expect.

His work is another reminder that Black inventors helped build and improve many of the technologies that shaped modern American life.

Forgotten Genius Friday celebrates the Black inventors, scientists and innovators whose ideas helped shape the world—even when their names were left out of the history books.

Sources

• Alexander Miles — U.S. Patent No. 371,207
• Alexander Miles — National Inventors Hall of Fame
• Alexander Miles Patent — IEEE REACH
• Alexander Miles — Lemelson-MIT Program
• Alexander Miles — Duluth Public Library’s Vintage Duluth

Historical context

• John W. Meaker’s 1874 self-closing elevator-shaft patent

Shontay Lundy, Founder and CEO of Black Girl Sunscreen, has been inducted into Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority’s 2026 TrailblazerΣ Honorary Membership Class—an honor recognizing women whose leadership and accomplishments create measurable impact across culture and community.

Announced July 29, 2026, the recognition places Lundy among 21 accomplished women celebrated for reshaping their industries through service, sisterhood, and scholarship. For Lundy, it’s a milestone that reflects not only entrepreneurial success, but also the broader advocacy work that has helped expand how the beauty and skincare world talks about inclusive sun care and representation.

What the TrailblazerΣ Honorary Membership Recognizes

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, founded in 1922, is a national collegiate sorority with more than 100,000 members across 500 chapters worldwide. Built on principles of leadership and service, the organization is known for its long-standing commitment to community outreach—captured in its slogan, “Greater Service, Greater Progress.”

Honorary membership is among Sigma Gamma Rho’s most prestigious distinctions. It is awarded to women whose work excels in their field while also positively influencing society at large. The TrailblazerΣ class, in particular, highlights leaders who redefine what’s possible and open doors for others.

A Recognition Linked to a Larger Mission

Lundy founded Black Girl Sunscreen in 2016 to address a persistent gap in the market: sun protection products that work well for people of color, without leaving an unwanted white cast. Since then, the brand has become a recognizable name in inclusive skincare—helping educate consumers on sun safety and shifting public perception around who sunscreen is “for.”

Her induction into Sigma Gamma Rho’s 2026 class connects that work to a larger legacy of women breaking barriers across industries. It also underscores the brand’s impact beyond product innovation—positioning Black Girl Sunscreen as part of a wider movement toward representation, health education, and community-driven leadership.

In a statement, Lundy emphasized that the honor reflects shared values and a commitment to creating opportunities for others:

“To be welcomed into Sigma Gamma Rho is incredibly meaningful because it represents more than recognition—it reflects a shared commitment to service, leadership, and creating opportunities for others. Throughout my journey, I’ve always believed success should open doors, not just for yourself, but for the women coming behind you. I’m honored to join a sisterhood whose legacy is rooted in that same purpose, and I look forward to continuing that work together.”

A Class of Leaders Across Industries

Lundy joins a group of honorees spanning business, sports, media, and public service—reflecting Sigma Gamma Rho’s tradition of recognizing women whose achievements extend beyond personal success to broader community impact.

As the beauty industry continues to evolve toward more inclusive products and messaging, Lundy’s recognition signals how far the conversation has come—and how much it still depends on leaders willing to challenge assumptions, educate consumers, and build brands with purpose.

About Black Girl Sunscreen

Black Girl Sunscreen is a beauty and skincare company founded by Shontay Lundy in 2016 to address the lack of sun protection products formulated for people of color. The brand’s mission centers on educating consumers about safe skin practices and sun protection, while providing premium sun care products formulated for melanated skin and designed to be exceptional for everyone.

For more information, visit blackgirlsunscreen.com.

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The first-generation Bronco was designed by McKinley Thompson Jr., who was the first African American designer hired at Ford Motor Company.

#BlackHistoryMonth

Edited by: Rod Washington

Images: Ford Motor Company

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