Lucean Arthur Headen facts for kids

Lucean Arthur Headen (born August 26, 1879 – died September 17, 1957) was an amazing American inventor, engineer, and aviator. He was one of the first African-American pilots in the 1910s. Later, he helped create the first national car racing group for Black Americans. He also started successful companies in both the United States and England.

Lucean Headen's Early Life and Career

Lucean Headen was born in 1879 on his grandparents' farm in Carthage, North Carolina. His family had many skilled workers. His grandfather was a wheel maker, and his great-uncle was a blacksmith. His father and uncle started a sawmill in 1893.

Education and Early Jobs

After finishing school in 1898, Lucean wanted to learn more about mechanics. However, he was first prevented from getting more training. He became a porter for the Pullman Company. This job involved helping passengers on trains.

Later, he went to Albion Academy and graduated in 1903. He returned to working on trains in 1904. In 1909, he became a waiter on the Erie Railroad dining cars. He worked for 6 to 8 months a year. This schedule gave him time to work on his inventions during the rest of the year. Around the mid-1900s, he moved to Jersey City, New Jersey with his wife.

First Inventions and Flying Dreams

One of Lucean's first inventions was a special cover for ash carts. In 1910, he invented an automatic stabilizer for airplanes. This device helped planes stay level while flying. It was a very clever idea for early aviation.

In 1911, Lucean started taking flying lessons. He learned to fly at the Aeronautical Society in Mineola, New York. In January 1912, he left his job to join his instructor on a barnstorming tour. Barnstorming was when pilots traveled around. They would perform daring flying shows for crowds.

Lucean showed off a medal that said "First Negro Licensed Aviator in the World." Like many early pilots, he didn't take the official test for a certificate. The tour led him to Chicago. However, he was not allowed to join the Aero Club of Illinois because of his race. Despite this, he performed many exciting flights across the Midwest.

New Focus: Cars and War Efforts

By 1914, Lucean stopped his barnstorming career. He worked part-time for a patent lawyer. He also worked as a driver for Robert R. McCormick, who published the Chicago Tribune newspaper.

In 1915, he tried to get a patent for a "spring inner tube" for car tires. In 1916, he started his own company, the Headen Spring-in-a-Tube Company. From 1916 to 1917, he worked on a system of mirrors. This system was designed to help protect ships from U-boat attacks during World War I. The United States Navy turned down his idea. The war ended before the Royal Navy in England could try it, even though they were interested.

Building a Car Company

After the war, Lucean focused on automobiles. In 1919, he opened the Headen Repair Shop in Chicago. This garage helped him earn money. In 1921, he used the profits to start the Headen Motor Company. This was the first car company in the United States where an African-American designed all the vehicles.

By 1924, his company made different types of cars. These included a touring car, a sports roadster, and a race car. He traveled widely to promote his company. He also asked people to invest money. Lucean believed that owning cars could help reduce segregation. In 1924, he helped create the Afro-American Automobile Association. This was the first national car club for Black Americans. However, he left the group later that year. This was mainly because he focused so much on car racing.

Moving to Georgia and New Patents

From 1925 to 1930, Lucean lived in Albany, Georgia. There, he started the Headen Motor Car Company. This company put cars together. It also repaired cars, motorcycles, and tractors. They sold car parts too.

In 1930, Lucean and his friend Henry Petit got Lucean's first patent. It was for an ignition device for engines. With Petit, he also developed a special vaporizing manifold. This device helped save fuel in engines. He received a British patent for it in 1933 and a U.S. patent in 1935. A company called National Oil Manifolds was started to sell this invention.

Life and Inventions in the UK

In 1931, Lucean was invited to show his manifold invention in London. He then moved to the United Kingdom. He helped start and run Headen Hamilton Engineering Ltd. Later, it became Headen Keil Engineering Company Ltd. They had a factory in Camberley.

His inventions in the UK included a piping system to prevent engine damage. He also created a kit to change engines to run on heavier fuels using his manifold. During World War II, farmers secretly used this to run their cars on kerosene instead of gasoline. He also invented a gasket to protect engines that used two types of fuel. He even adapted this for use in planes.

Lucean also patented a "pressure-jet" method. This method helped to de-ice plane engines. His idea influenced other inventors later on. In 1940, Lucean joined the 1st Battalion of the Surrey Home Guard. This was a defense force during the war. He reportedly lent his boat to help with the Dunkirk evacuation. This was a famous event where many soldiers were rescued from France.

Lucean first lived in Camberley. After he got married, he settled near his wife's family in Frimley Green. He passed away there from a heart attack in 1957.

Lucean Headen's Family Life

Lucean Headen had an older sister named Nannie. She was an educator. In 1940, she became a house directress at North Carolina College.

In 1903, Lucean married Tena Drye. She was a primary school teacher. She was also active in her father's charity and the Presbyterian Church. In 1943, Lucean married Gladys Hollamby. They adopted a son, Lucean Jr., in 1948.