Gray Ilaysha (Gray Elisha)

(1835-1901)
Born August 2, 1835 in Barnsville (pc. Ohio). He was educated at Oberlin College, earning a living and learning carpentry craft. At the end of the college engaged in experiments in the field of electricity, in particular Telegraph. In 1867, he patented the telegraph relay with automatic adjustment, invented the telegraph switch, the device alerts for hotels, telegraph repeater, direct-printing apparatus. February 14, 1876 Gray simultaneously with A. Bell filed an application for invention of the telephone. When Bell March 7, 1876 was granted a patent, Gray filed a lawsuit. In 1893 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on this case in favor of Bell. Among the works of Gray - Electrical studies in the field of tonal Telegraph and Telephone (Electrical Researches in Electro-Harmonic Telegraphy and Telephony, 1878) and Wonders of Nature (Nature's Miracles, 1899-1900). Gray died in Nyutonville (pc. Massachusetts) January 21, 1901