Otis Boykin

Otis Boykin's innovations in electronic resistors enabled the more precise regulation of electrical current within a circuit. Variations of his resistor technologies are used in a wide variety of devices, from televisions and radios to computers and smartphones. His work also contributed to the first successful implantable pacemaker.

Boykin was born in Dallas in 1920. He graduated as valedictorian from Booker T. Washington High School in 1938. Earning a scholarship to attend Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, he chose to study physics and chemistry.

After graduating in 1941, Boykin moved to Chicago and began working as a laboratory assistant for the Majestic Radio and TV Corp., where he tested automatic pilot control units that were used in airplanes during World War II. He later became a research engineer for the P.J. Nilson Research Labs and then joined his business partner Hal Fruth to establish Boykin-Fruth Inc.

Boykin decided to continue his education at the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1946. Unfortunately, he was unable to complete his studies because he could no longer afford the tuition.

Having to leave school in 1947 proved to be only a temporary setback for Boykin. In fact, it motivated him to pursue his own inventions. He focused his research on the growing field of electronics, and primarily on resistors – technology that reduces the flow of electricity to ensure the safe operation of an electronic device.

In 1959, Boykin’s persistence paid off. He earned his first patent on a wire precision resistor, which enabled an exact amount of resistance that could be customized to meet a specific purpose. Just two years later, he earned another patent on a resistor that could withstand extreme changes in temperature and pressure.

Both more affordable and more reliable than previous models, Boykin’s electronic resistors were soon in demand by the U.S. military, IBM and other high-tech organizations. Today, his resistor technologies still are used throughout the world in many products, ranging from common household goods to complex military technology.

Following the success of his first inventions, in 1964 Boykin developed arguably his most influential technology – a control unit for pacemakers, or devices that deliver a steady electrical pulse to stimulate the hearts of patients with irregular heartbeats. Allowing for more precise regulation, Boykin’s work made pacemakers more efficient, as well as longer lasting and less expensive to manufacture. This helped make these essential devices more accessible, improving patient care and making it possible to save and prolong more lives worldwide.

Boykin worked as a consultant in the U.S. and France from 1964 until his death in 1982. He also continued to work on electronic resistors for the rest of his life. In addition to creating an electrical capacitor in 1965 and an electrical resistance capacitor in 1967, he also invented a range of consumer products, including a burglar-proof cash register and a chemical air filter.

Over the course of his career, Boykin earned more than 25 U.S. patents and built an enduring legacy of innovation.