Debrilla Ratchford

alt=Patent image of three suitcases attached to a J-shaped hook with wheels to roll them around.

Debrilla M. Ratchford is an African-American inventor who is known for her patent on rolling luggage.

Life and career Ratchford was born in Washington, D.C. in the early 1950s. Her father was a retired Air Force officer. She attended Central Missouri State College before serving as a flight attendant for United Airlines. The modern rolling suitcase is adapted from Ratchford's original design.