[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 34 (Friday, February 27, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S1199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                       RECOGNIZING ELIJAH McCOY 

 Mr. PETERS. Madam President, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
recognizing Elijah McCoy in honor of Black History Month. Mr. McCoy was 
a 19th-century African-American inventor whose innovation was crucial 
to our modern-day transportation system.
  Throughout the month of February, we come together as Michiganders 
and as Americans to celebrate Black History Month and reflect on the 
tremendous contributions African Americans have made to our country. 
African Americans have helped shape and enrich our communities, and 
their many contributions serve as a constant reminder that diversity is 
one of our country's greatest strengths.
  Elijah McCoy was born in Ontario, Canada, to fugitive slaves who had 
escaped to Canada through the Underground Railroad. Showing an interest 
in engineering from a young age, Mr. McCoy traveled to Scotland at the 
age of 15, where he took an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering. 
When he returned to the United States, racial barriers prevented him 
from finding work. Mr. McCoy then became a fireman and oiler for the 
Michigan Central Railroad. Through this job, he developed his major 
invention.
  Through analyzing the system of oiling axes, Mr. McCoy came up with a 
lubricating cup that evenly distributed oil over the engine's moving 
parts. He was granted a patent for his invention, thus allowing trains 
to run continuously for long periods of time. Railroad engineers came 
to ask for this equipment by name, requesting ``the real McCoy'' 
system--a term used to this day to describe quality and originality. 
Receiving approximately 60 patents throughout the course of his life, 
Mr. McCoy later formed the Elijah McCoy Manufacturing Company and 
changed the course of transportation history. Mr. McCoy is an example 
of true innovation and ingenuity. Elijah McCoy is buried at the Detroit 
Memorial Park East in Warren, MI, and it is fitting that we honored his 
legacy by naming the U.S. Patent and Trademark satellite office in 
Detroit after him.
  As we observe Black History Month, we should take a moment to 
recognize how far we have come as a nation and yet how far we still 
have to go as we work together to achieve true equality. The civil 
rights movement changed the course of our Nation's history for the 
better and left a lasting legacy that touches our lives every day. In 
honor of Black History Month, let us recommit ourselves to the goal of 
making America a place where anyone who works hard and plays by the 
rules has the opportunity to succeed. As we continue to work toward 
equality, we must carry that legacy forward.

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