Otis Frank Boykin (Dallas, 1920 – Chicago, 1982) African-American inventor and engineer who patented 26 electronic devices. His father was a carpenter and later became a preacher. His mother was a maid and died of heart failure when he was only one year old. This inspired him to try to improve pacemakers. His most famous invention was a control unit for the artificial cardiac pacemaker. The device used electrical impulses to maintain a regular heart rhythm. Among his other inventions were a burglar-proof cash register, electronic control devices for guided missiles and IBM computers. He died in Chicago, as did his mother, of heart failure.