Otis Frank Boykin (August 29, 1920 - March 13, 1982) was an African-American inventor and engineer. He invented more than 25 electronic devices. One of his early inventions was an improved electrical resistor for computers, radios, televisions and an assortment of other electronic devices. His most famous invention was a control unit for the artificial heart pacemaker. The device essentially uses electrical impulses to maintain a regular heartbeat. Boykin himself died of a heart failure in 1982 at the age of 61.