Frank J. Sprague

Frank Julian Sprague was an American naval officer and inventor who contributed to the development of the electric motor, electric railways, and electric elevators. His contributions were especially important in promoting urban development by increasing the size cities could reasonably attain and by allowing greater concentration of business in commercial sections . He became known as the Father of Electric Traction.

Sprague was born in Milford, Connecticut in 1857 to David Cummings Sprague and Frances Julia King Sprague. He attended Drury High School in North Adams, Massachusetts and excelled in mathematics. In 1874, he won an appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. There, he graduated seventh in the Class of 1878.

Source: Wikipedia