Patterson, Frederick Douglass
1871-1932 · Contribution: 1913-1918
Industrial & Mechanical
Engineered and built the Patterson-Greenfield automobile in 1915, making his family's company, C.R. Patterson & Sons, the first and to date only African American-owned and operated automobile manufacturer in U.S. history

Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Quick facts
- Born
- 1871-1932
- Active since
- 1913-1918
- Category
- Industrial & Mechanical
Impact on the world
Patterson built and sold a Black-manufactured automobile in the age of Ford and GM, a singular achievement in the history of the American auto industry.
Sources
- Automotive Hall of Fame
1 more sources and references are available to members.
More in Industrial & Mechanical
Boyd, Henry
1802-1886
Invented the Boyd bedstead, a reinforced wooden bed frame design; founded a bedstead factory
Brooks, Charles
1865-unknown
Street sweeper truck design; paper punch
Coffey, Cornelius Robinson
1903-1994
Became the first African American certified aircraft mechanic in the United States in 1932 and designed a patented carburetor heating system that prevented icing, allowing aircraft to fly safely in cold and wet weather, a design principle still used in aviation today
Crosthwait, David Jr.
1892-1976
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system design