Solomon Harper

{{short description|American inventor}}

{{use mdy dates|date=July 2021}}

File:Crisis Magazine March 1915 0300-crisis-v09n05-w053.pdf magazine in 1915]]

File:Protesters LCCN2016820319.tif near the White House March 6, 1930.{{Citation|last=Spark|first=Washington Area|title=Blacks, Whites Protest Job Losses: 1930 No. 2|date=1930-03-06|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/washington_area_spark/7761419138/|access-date=2021-07-19}}]]

File:ELECTRICAL HAIR TREATING IMPLEMENT US1772002.pdf

Solomon Harper (October 8, 1895, Poplar Grove, Arkansas{{cite web | title = U.S., Social Security Death Index (Solomon Harper) | url = https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/3693/records/25663255 | website = Ancestry.com | access-date = 2025-06-18 }}; {{cite web | title = U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 (Solomon Harper) | url = https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1002/records/2798011 | website = Ancestry.com | access-date = 2025-06-18 }} - December 8, 1980, New York, New York{{Cite newspaper|date=December 19, 1980|title=Solomon Harper|page=66|newspaper=Daily News|url=https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61843/records/575658973}}

) was an electrical engineer and inventor{{Cite web|last=Center|first=Smithsonian Lemelson|date=2014-07-23|title=Solomon Harper Papers, 1957-1979|url=https://invention.si.edu/solomon-harper-papers-1957-1979|access-date=2021-07-19|website=Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation|language=en}} known for creating the first electrically heated hair roller{{Cite web|title=Hot and Steamy: Our Forever Love Affair with Hair Rollers |url=https://www.conair.com/co/89/hot-and-steamy-our-forever-love-affair-with-hair-rollers/400|access-date=2021-07-19|website=Conair Corporation|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Edmonds|first=Lauren|title=Models walked in a historic fashion show dressed as items by Black inventors, from a hairbrush to a traffic light|url=https://www.insider.com/pyer-moss-fashion-show-honoring-black-inventors-2021-7|access-date=2021-07-19|website=Insider|language=en-US}}{{Cite patent|title=Electrical hair-treating implement|gdate=1927-12-23|country=US|number=1772002|inventor1-last=Harper |inventor1-first=Solomon}}{{Cite patent|title=Thermostatic controlled hair curlers, combs, and irons|gdate=1951-10-24|country=US|number=2648757|assign=Harold Watkiss (10%)|inventor1-last=Harper|inventor1-first=Solomon}} and 28 other inventions.

Harper worked for various railways performing jobs like section head, construction and other locomotive work. In 1914, he applied for his first patent for his block system which he invented to prevent train collision. It was designed to prevent rear and head on collision and to prevent trains from running into open switches, to automatically reduce train's speed at dangerous places, and to stop trains at railways junctions.{{citation |mode=cs1 |work=Manuscript Division Finding Aids |url=https://dh.howard.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1086&context=finaid_manu |date=2015-10-01 |publisher=Howard University |title=Solomon Harper Papers}}

During the course of his career, he struggled to receive recognition and compensation for his inventions.{{Cite web|title=archives.nypl.org -- Search results|url=http://archives.nypl.org/controlaccess/162824?term=Harper,%20Solomon,%201895-1979|access-date=2021-07-19|website=archives.nypl.org}} Harper was trained as an electrical engineer{{r|howard}} and was a veteran. He was a politically active communist, and organized at least one march to picket the White House about unemployment in 1930.{{Cite magazine |title=RAGES: Mischief Out of Misery|date=April 1935 |language=en-US |magazine=Time|url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,748651-2,00.html|access-date=2021-07-19|issn=0040-781X}}