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Year: 1905​
Who: Robert A. Pelham​
Where: Detroit, MI​
What: Robert A. Pelham Jr. (1859–1943) was a journalist, civil servant, inventor, and advocate for African American civil rights and equality. Born in Petersburg, Virginia, to free African American parents, Pelham’s family moved to Detroit in 1868 to access better educational opportunities. He graduated from integrated public schools and attended the State Military Academy at Orchard Lake, Michigan.
Pelham’s career in journalism began early. In 1883, he co-founded the Detroit Plaindealer with his brother Benjamin and others. The newspaper was a powerful voice for civil rights, lauding figures like Ida B. Wells and supporting African Americans in legal struggles. Pelham’s work extended to co-founding branches of the National Afro-American League in Michigan, advocating for the organization of African Americans to fight for equality.
In addition to his journalistic efforts, Pelham held various public appointments. He worked as a deputy oil inspector for Michigan, an inspector for the Detroit Water Department, and a special agent for the General Land Office and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. In 1900, he moved to Washington, D.C., to work for the U.S. Census Bureau, where he spent 37 years. During this time, Pelham attended Howard University at night, earning a law degree in 1904.
Pelham’s inventive mind led him to develop tools that streamlined census processes. In 1905, he patented a pasting apparatus that applied adhesive to paper strips, enhancing the efficiency of data compilation. In 1913, he engineered a tallying machine, further improving census workflows. These innovations demonstrated his technical ingenuity and commitment to modernizing government operations.
Throughout his life, Pelham was deeply involved in civil rights organizations, including the American Negro Academy and the Spingarn Medal Commission. His contributions to journalism, civil service, and invention left a lasting impact on African American progress. Pelham passed away in 1943 and was buried in Washington, D.C.​
Sources:
Websites:
Google Patents. (n.d.). Patent US807685A - Voting Machine by Robert A. Pelham Jr.. https://patents.google.com/patent/US807685A/en
Newspapers.com. (n.d.). Mourn Passing of Robert A. Pelham Jr. The New York Age. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-age-mourn-passing-of-robert/8678643/
U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). Robert A. Pelham Jr.. https://www.census.gov/history/pdf/robert-a-pelhamjr.pdf
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