Bessie Blount Griffin
Encyclopedia
Bessie Virginia Blount was a physical therapist, inventor, and forensic scientist also known by her married name, Bessie Blount Griffin.
, initially attended Union Junior College. She received nurse's training
at Community Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Newark, New Jersey
, then went on to Panzer College of Physical Education and Hygiene in East Orange, New Jersey
. Along the way, she studied physical therapy in Chicago.
feed themselves. She invented an electronic
feeding device in 1951, a feeding tube that delivered one mouthful of food at a time, controlled by biting down on the tube. The American Veterans Administration did not accept her invention, so she sold it to the French government. Blount was once a physical therapist to the mother-in-law of Theodore Edison, son of famed inventor Thomas Edison. She and the younger Edison became close friends and while in his home she invented the disposable cardboard emesis basin
. This invention was also not accepted by the American Veterans Administration, so she sold it to Belgium.
Philadelphia television show “The Big Idea”, becoming the first African-American and the first woman to be given such recognition. On the program, she stated, "A Black woman can invent something for the benefit of human kind."
in 2005.
Education
Blount, born in Hickory, VirginiaHickory, Virginia
Hickory is a small community located within the independent city of Chesapeake in the U.S. state of Virginia. Hickory lies in the southern portion of the city and is adjacent to the North Carolina-Virginia border....
, initially attended Union Junior College. She received nurse's training
Nurse education
Nurse education consists in the theorical and practical training provided to nurses with the purpose to prepare them for their duties as nursing care professionals. This education is provided to nursing students by experienced nurses and other medical professionals who have qualified or...
at Community Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, then went on to Panzer College of Physical Education and Hygiene in East Orange, New Jersey
East Orange, New Jersey
East Orange is a city in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the city's population 64,270, making it the state's 20th largest municipality, having dropped 5,554 residents from its population of 69,824 in the 2000 Census, when it was the state's 14th most...
. Along the way, she studied physical therapy in Chicago.
Inventions
During World War II, as part of her work with wounded soldiers, Blount devised an apparatus to help amputeesAmputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
feed themselves. She invented an electronic
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
feeding device in 1951, a feeding tube that delivered one mouthful of food at a time, controlled by biting down on the tube. The American Veterans Administration did not accept her invention, so she sold it to the French government. Blount was once a physical therapist to the mother-in-law of Theodore Edison, son of famed inventor Thomas Edison. She and the younger Edison became close friends and while in his home she invented the disposable cardboard emesis basin
Emesis basin
An emesis basin is a shallow basin with a kidney-shaped footprint and sloping walls . Various sizes of emesis basin are a common sight in healthcare settings, including facilities such as nursing homes that may have bedridden patients...
. This invention was also not accepted by the American Veterans Administration, so she sold it to Belgium.
Forensic science career
In 1969, Blount went into law enforcement as a forensic scientist, at the Vineland Police Department and the Norfolk Police Department. In the mid-1970s, she became the chief document examiner at the Portsmouth Police Department. In 1977, she trained and worked at Scotland Yard in England. She was the first African-American woman to work there. She ran her own business as a forensic science consultant in the 1990s, until age 83, studying slave papers and Civil War documents as well as verifying the authenticity of documents containing Native American-U.S. treaties.Interviews and public appearances
In 1953, Blount appeared on the WCAUWCAU
WCAU, channel 10, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. WCAU has its studios on the border between Philadelphia and Bala Cynwyd. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 34 from a transmitter in the...
Philadelphia television show “The Big Idea”, becoming the first African-American and the first woman to be given such recognition. On the program, she stated, "A Black woman can invent something for the benefit of human kind."
Honors and awards
Griffin was named as one of many notable Virginia Women in HistoryVirginia Women in History
Virginia Women in History is an annual program sponsored by the Library of Virginia that honors eight Virginia women, living and dead, for their contributions to their community, region, state, and nation...
in 2005.