H*3257 Resolution, By Harvin
 A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO COMMEND "PROJECT PLAY IT SAFE!" AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA
 PLAY IT SAFE COUNCIL FOR THEIR FOCUS ON GARRETT AUGUSTUS MORGAN, INVENTOR OF
 THE GARRETT MORGAN TRAFFIC SIGNAL AND THE FIRST INVENTOR TO ACQUIRE A UNITED
 STATES PATENT FOR SUCH A DEVICE, AND TO RECOGNIZE AND CONGRATULATE THEM FOR
 THEIR OUTSTANDING EFFORT TO PROMOTE SAFETY EDUCATION IN THE PALMETTO STATE BY
 DECLARING AND CELEBRATING JANUARY 14, 1999, AS GARRETT A. MORGAN SAFETY DAY AS
 PART OF "PROJECT PLAY IT SAFE!" IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

   01/12/99  House  Introduced and adopted HJ-102

TO COMMEND "PROJECT PLAY IT SAFE!" AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA PLAY IT SAFE COUNCIL FOR THEIR FOCUS ON GARRETT AUGUSTUS MORGAN, INVENTOR OF THE GARRETT MORGAN TRAFFIC SIGNAL AND THE FIRST INVENTOR TO ACQUIRE A UNITED STATES PATENT FOR SUCH A DEVICE, AND TO RECOGNIZE AND CONGRATULATE THEM FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING EFFORT TO PROMOTE SAFETY EDUCATION IN THE PALMETTO STATE BY DECLARING AND CELEBRATING JANUARY 14, 1999, AS GARRETT A. MORGAN SAFETY DAY AS PART OF "PROJECT PLAY IT SAFE!" IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

Whereas, "Project Play It Safe!" sponsors "Play it safe! A home adventure..." which is a fun, animated, interactive journey designed to help children six to ten years of age become safety oriented and prepare them for real life situations at home and in their neighborhoods; and, by interacting with randomized games and puzzles, children acquire safety skills and knowledge they will use for a lifetime; and

Whereas, Garrett Augustus Morgan (1877-1963) was an African-American businessman and inventor who devoted his life to inventing things that made the lives of other people less burdensome, more convenient, and much, much safer including, but not limited to, a zig-zag stitching attachment for manually operated sewing machines, personal grooming products, a gas mask used to rescue several men trapped in a tunnel under Lake Erie after an explosion that became the Morgan gas mask used by the United States Army during World War I, and a patented Safety Hood and Smoke Protector for firemen; and

Whereas, the first American-made automobiles were introduced to United States consumers shortly before the turn of the twentieth century and, in the early years of the twentieth century, it was not uncommon for bicycles, horse or mule-drawn wagons, and new gasoline-powered motor vehicles to share the same streets and roadways with pedestrians, with the unregulated traffic frequently resulting in accidents, the loss of lives, and untold damage to property; and

Whereas, after witnessing a collision between an automobile and a horse-drawn carriage, Morgan became determined that he - not someone else - would do something to improve traffic safety and did so by developing the Morgan traffic signal, a T-shaped pole unit that featured three positions: stop, go, and an all-directional stop position that halted traffic in all directions to allow pedestrians to cross streets more safely; and

Whereas, Garrett Augustus Morgan was the first to apply for a United States patent for such a traffic safety device, which was granted in the United States on November 20, 1923, with the technology later patented in Great Britain and Canada, and his traffic management device was used throughout North America until it was replaced in later years by the red, yellow, and green light traffic signals currently used around the world; and

Whereas, in recognition of the fact that among Morgan's inventions was an early traffic signal that greatly improved safety on America's streets and roadways, and that his technology was the basis for modern traffic signal systems and an early example of what we know and enjoy today as intelligent transportation systems. "Project Play It Safe!" and the South Carolina Play It Safe Council have focused their attention and that of the youth of this State upon the contributions to safety and the quality of life made by this talented inventor and great American; and

Whereas, in recognition of his contributions to safety and the quality of life made by Garrett Augustus Morgan, "Project Play It Safe!" and the South Carolina Play It Safe Council have declared and will celebrate January 14, 1999, as Garrett A. Morgan Safety Day as part of "Project Play It Safe!" in South Carolina. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the South Carolina House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, commend "Project Play It Safe!" and the South Carolina Play It Safe Council for their focus on Garrett Augustus Morgan, inventor of the Garrett Morgan traffic signal and the first inventor to acquire a United States patent for such a device, and to recognize and congratulate them for their outstanding effort to promote safety education in the Palmetto State by declaring and celebrating January 14, 1999, as Garrett A. Morgan Safety Day as part of "Project Play It Safe!" in South Carolina.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the South Carolina Play It Safe Council.