George Franklin Grant (1846 – 1910) – Golf tee
George Franklin Grant, Harvard’s first African American faculty member, was born to formerly enslaved people in 1846. He began his career as an errand boy for local dentist Dr. Albert Smith, but thanks to his hard work and performance, Dr. Smith promoted Grant to laboratory assistant. Grant pursued a career in dentistry and enrolled in Harvard Dental School, where he was one of only two black students at the time.
While he did not invent any dental care devices or products, Grant’s invention significantly impacted the sport of golf. He was an avid golfer and developed an early version of the golf tee using wood and latex resin. Before this invention, golfers would build a small mound of sand to place the ball before hitting it. Grant’s invention revolutionized the game, allowing for more consistent and stable ball placement, and his design is still used in modern golf today.