The Economic Times

Alexander Miles, a Duluth barber, patented an elevator door mechanism in 1887; a flexible belt and levers helped automate the shaft and car doors

In 1887, barber Alexander Miles revolutionized the elevator experience by inventing an automatic door system, ensuring safety and convenience. His ingenuity set a benchmark for modern elevators with automatic doors. Aside from his engineering achievements, Miles ventured into real estate and established an insurance company aimed at supporting Black Americans, offering them policies where others did not. His legacy lives on in every automatic elevator door today.