This Day In History: July 12th
Frederick McKinley Jones was an early 20th-century inventor who made revolutionary contributions to the engineering field. His inventions varied, but he secured more than 60 patents throughout his career. However, Jones received a patent for one of his most popular inventions, a mobile refrigeration device, on July 12, 1949.
He was born on May 17, 1893. Jones was a biracial child who experienced an unstable upbringing. His mother left when he was young, and his father was unable to manage raising a child on his own, so Jones was sent away. Jones decided to run away and managed to find work doing odd jobs. One job Jones performed exceptionally well was in automobile mechanics, and he was eventually hired at a shop.
During World War I, Jones served in the Army and was often tasked with making repairs to equipment. After leaving the army, Jones worked on a farm and educated himself in electronics. His skills were recognized by local residents, which allowed him the opportunity to build a radio transmitter and work with businessman Joseph A. Numero. Numero hired Jones to improve the sound equipment he produced for the film industry.
Following his work in cinema, Jones created a small, durable unit to allow for refrigeration in a truck. On the patent application, Jones noted, “my invention relates to an air conditioning unit adapted to be positioned upon and supported by and to extend through the top wall of any room or compartment.”
His technology advanced food distribution by making fresh produce easier to access. The patent application added, “this arrangement results in extreme simplicity, lightness, compactness, and effectiveness in operation of the entire structure.” Patent US2475841A provided the opportunity for the creation of the U.S. Thermo Control Company. The company was able to expand and proved to be helpful in preserving blood during World War II.
Jones died of lung cancer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on February 21, 1961. His inventions earned him awards and recognition while he was alive and beyond. He became the first African American elected to the American Society of Refrigeration Engineers in 1944 and he was later inducted into the Minnesota Inventors Hall of Fame in 1977.
Former President George H.W. Bush awarded the National Medal of Technology to Numero and Jones in 1991, making him the first African American to receive the award. He was also posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2007.
