Born in Ontario, Canada in May 1844 to parents who had escaped slavery in America, Elijah McCoy showed an early interest in mechanics and, aged 15, was sent to Scotland for an apprenticeship and to study mechanical engineering at the University of Edinburgh .
Did Elijah McCoy go to high school?
Elijah McCoy was educated in black schools of Colchester Township due to the 1850 Common Schools act which segregated the Upper Canadian schools in Scotland. At age 15, in 1859, Elijah McCoy was sent to Scotland. After some years, he was certified in Scotland as a mechanical engineer.
Did Elijah McCoy attend school?
When McCoy was 15 years old, he was sent to a boarding school in Edinburgh, Scotland to study mechanical engineering. Once he returned to the United States, McCoy had a difficult time in finding a job because of his race despite his numerous credentials.
What kind of education did Elijah McCoy have?
Education : Completed an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering in Edinburgh, Scotland. Served as a fireman on the Michigan Central Railroad, 1870-82; patented first invention, 1872; mechanical consultant to several Detroit engineering firms, 1882-1920; founded the Elijah McCoy Manufacturing Company, 1920.
Where did Elijah McCoy get his education?
At the age of 15, McCoy was sent by his parents to attend school in Edinburgh, Scotland where he was certified as a mechanical engineer. In 1866, at the age of 22, McCoy returned from Scotland and settled in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Why did Elijah McCoy go to Scotland?
Born in Ontario, Canada in May 1844 to parents who had escaped slavery in America, Elijah McCoy showed an early interest in mechanics and, aged 15, was sent to Scotland for an apprenticeship and to study mechanical engineering at the University of Edinburgh . ...
Who helped Elijah McCoy’s parents escape to freedom?
His parents had been slaves in Kentucky, but they escaped. The anti-slavery volunteers of the Underground Railroad helped them get to Canada. After the Civil War was over in 1865, the family returned to the U.S. and lived in Michigan. As a teenager Elijah went to Scotland to study.
How did Elijah McCoy impact the world?
Elijah McCoy (1843?-1929) made important contributions to the design of railroad locomotives after the Civil War . He kept pace with the progress of locomotive design, devising new lubricating systems that served the steam engines of the early twentieth century.
Where does the phrase the real McCoy come from?
The phrase “The real McCoy” may be a corruption of the Scots “The real MacKay”, first recorded in 1856 as: “A drappie o’ the real MacKay” (“a drop of the real MacKay”) . This appeared in a poem Deil’s Hallowe’en published in Glasgow and is widely accepted as the phrase’s origin.
Why did Elijah McCoy invent the automatic lubricator?
Elijah McCoy received his first patent for an automatic lubricating device in 1872. ... Engines needed frequent lubrication , and each time, the trains had to be stopped and started, an inefficient process. McCoy was convinced there was a better way and invented his automatic lubricator.
What is the design created by Elijah McCoy?
After studying the inefficiencies inherent in the existing system of oiling axles, McCoy invented a lubricating cup that distributed oil evenly over the engine’s moving parts . He obtained a patent for this invention, which allowed trains to run continuously for long periods of time without pausing for maintenance.
How old was Elijah McCoy when he died?
McCoy refined his invention over the next 25 years, receiving 26 patents between 1872 and 1891 for updating and modifying the lubricator cup or other inventions. Elijah McCoy died in Detroit on October 10, 1929 at the age of 85 .
How long was Elijah McCoy in Scotland?
At the age of fifteen, Elijah McCoy left Canada for Edinburgh, Scotland, where he apprenticed for five years as a mechanical engineer.
How many sisters did Elijah McCoy have?
When Elijah was 3, his family moved back to the U.S. and settled in Detroit, Michigan. They later moved to Ypsilanti, Michigan, where George opened a tobacco business. Elijah had 11 brothers and sisters .
