Warren G. Grimes*

Warren Grimes was born in 1898 in rural Montgomery County, Ohio. He was raised in an orphanage, but ran away from it at age 15 to live with his brother in Detroit.

Although is formal education ended with the ninth grade, Grimes continued reading to educate himself. At 16, he went to work for the Ford Motor Company and became interested in electricity. He was instrumental in making the first lights for the Ford trimotor airplanes.

In 1930, Grimes moved to Urbana, Ohio, where he founded a small light fixture plant, but the Great Depression wiped out his business. While recuperating from an illness, Grimes worked out his first aircraft invention, the familiar red, green, and white navigation lights found on the wing tops and tails of aircraft. He later developed other important aircraft fixtures, including landing and instrument lights.

The Grimes Manufacturing Company, which he organized to make this equipment, eventually produced more aircraft lights than any other plant in the world. He served as mayor of Urbana and was chairman of the Ohio Aviation Board.