Talk:Otis Boykin

Boykin
This page uses content from http://www.blackhistorypages.net/pages/oboykin.php and needs to be rewritten and a few more sources added Dmanning 02:56, 10 January 2007 (UTC)


 * The Wikipedia article on African-American inventor and engineer Otis Boykin is a very short article that only includes a brief biographical section with few details on Boykin’s life and accomplishments. The article begins by briefly addressing Boykin’s early life and high school, and then moves into his college career. It is listed that he received a scholarship to attend Fisk University—was this a merit scholarship he received or financial-aid based? Additionally, since the issue of money was brought up several times in the article as a limiting factor in Boykin’s life, what are the qualifications and details of the scholarship, and was he able to keep and maintain it? Additionally, it would be helpful if information was included regarding what his college major was, and how this/and college influenced his desire to become an inventor. Did he face any adversity as a science driven minority in the late 1930’s/early 1940’s? Later in the article it discusses Boykin’s move to the Illinois Institute of Technology but that he dropped out after two years. It would be helpful to know, whether he was pursuing a graduate degree, or if he had never completed college and was trying to finish it. Different sources are listed for giving different reasons for his dropping out, it would be beneficial if the final cause for his dropping out was not just being speculated by people, but a firm fact as to why he stopped his education at this point. He was mentored by Dr. Hal F. Fruth, but there is no information as to who this man is, or what his accomplishments were. Also, how did a mentor-mentee relationship form between Fruth and Boykin. Boykin is listed as inventing 25 electronic devices, however other websites have named that he invented 26, or 28. While significant background information on Boykin’s life is missing, the article lacks even more in describing his most famous inventions and how they impacted him and others. For example, his most famous invention is the control unit of an artificial pace maker. There should be information on how he came to create this, what its exact function is, and how this invention helped changed the way pacemakers are made and the impact on those who use them. It would be helpful if the article contained more sections to organize this new material, such as: Early life and education, personal life, scientific career, and inventions.

Uncited quots everywhere "small component thick-film resistors for computers.[9]" Cite 9 has nothing about thick film resistor patents. Needs proper cite. Modern electronics like computers and phones dont appear to even use wire resistors a cite also needed that he invented film resistors. Cite 9 does not include any such info. Existing cites have no real technical info about the invention and are just political. Cites needed on invention specs and what products its actually in. 75.105.206.0 (talk) 19:00, 28 August 2018 (UTC)

Contradictory and unverified material

There are "facts" on this entry that are not accurate, and before I change them, I'm curious about where these pieces of information came from. For example, the entry says that Boykin's mother died when he was one year old; but he was born in 1920 and his mother was still alive and well on the 1930 census; other sources I have seen say she died when he was twelve. There is also a question about whether he graduated from Fisk in 1941 (he didn't); and a previous commenter asked about Hal F. Fruth-- I can tell you who he was, and why he mentored Boykin. I'm currently writing an article about Boykin's life, so I've done lots of research, and I am happy to share it. Is someone supervising this page, or should I just go in and make the changes? DonnaHalper (talk) 21:31, 20 September 2018 (UTC)
 * Please do go ahead and modify this page if you feel it is still needed. I would also be interested in discovering which references you are relying upon. What I have found so far is more activist than academic material about him. The article has been translated into French. I am looking for information/references which we might include in the French version too. Braveheidi (talk) 22:36, 7 December 2019 (UTC)
 * I might also note that the second line in the first paragraph is blatantly false. He did not create the electronic control devices for guided missiles, IBM computers or the pacemaker. He created a resistor that was used in all 3. It's like saying Gore created the Internet because he sponsored a bill to fund it. If you look up Pacemaker site on the wikipage he is never mentioned anywhere. bkwusa (talk) 8:06, 18 February 2020 (UTC)

Starting point for more information
I came here after having read an APS article on Otis Boykin:. It would make a good source or at least starting point (links to primary sources) for filling out this page, though I see that others here have more information. Specifically, I came here because the APS article said that he had to leave college before graduation but refers to him elsewhere as "Dr." I wanted to understand how that happened (went back to university, got an honorary degree, or what?). — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jim Pivarski (talk • contribs) 20:28, 8 February 2022 (UTC)

Re-organization
I didn't change the content of this page but updated the organization and added an infobox. Ewingdo (talk) 18:26, 17 May 2020 (UTC)

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 * Otis-Boykin.jpg