John Raphael Rogers

John Raphael Rogers
Born(1856-12-11)December 11, 1856
Roseville, Illinois, US
DiedFebruary 18, 1934(1934-02-18) (aged 77)
Brooklyn, New York, US
EducationOberlin College
OccupationsTeacher, inventor

John Raphael Rogers (December 11, 1856 – February 18, 1934) invented the Typograph, a form of typesetting machine. The patent for setting a line of type in a single bar of metal was held by the Linotype company, so Rogers was unable to market his invention in the US. He sold the patent to a German company, and it was used successfully in Germany for some years.[1][2]

Biography

John Raphael Rogers was born in Roseville, Illinois on December 11, 1856, to John A. Rogers and Elizabeth Embree Rogers.[2][3] He graduated from Oberlin College with a bachelor's degree in 1875. He worked as a school teacher and school superintendent until 1886, after which he worked on his inventions full time. He received a patent for the Rogers Typograph in 1888.[2]

He died at his home in Brooklyn on February 18, 1934.[2]

References

  1. ^ "1895 Rogers Typograph". International Printing Museum. April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "John Rogers Dead; Inventor Was 77". The New York Times. February 19, 1934. p. 15. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  3. ^ "John R. Rogers". Oberlin Alumni Magazine. Vol. VII, no. 8. May 1911. p. 259. Retrieved November 2, 2025 – via Internet Archive.