inventors

Single mother and secretary Bette Nesmith Graham conquered fear to create a revolutionary office invention. Her lifelong passion for the arts—combined with a healthy dose of perseverance—saved her career.

The stately portrait of Elijah J. McCoy—a Canadian-American engineer of African-American descent who invented lubrication systems for steam engines—stands proudly at the first regional office in the history of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.