Ralph Teetor’s (1890–1982) life is a study in paradox. Born in a small Indiana town in 1890, he lost his sight before his 7th birthday, yet went on to shape how the modern world experiences the open road. His inventions ranged from precise piston rings to a wartime turbine technology, but his greatest legacy was the speed-regulating device we now call cruise control.
Teetor’s early years in Hagerstown, Indiana, began typically enough until an accident with a knife injured his eye. Doctors removed the damaged eye, but within a year, an extremely rare condition caused the loss of his remaining vision as well. By the age of 7, he was completely blind.
