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Year: 1919

Who: Frederick McKinley Jones (1893-1961)​

Where: ​USA

What: Frederick McKinley Jones was an American inventor, engineer, and entrepreneur whose groundbreaking work in refrigeration technology revolutionized industries and earned him a lasting legacy. Known as the "Father of Refrigerated Transportation" and "King of Cool," Jones received 61 patents, including 40 for refrigeration innovations. His inventions included portable refrigeration units for transporting perishable food, as well as a refrigeration unit used to preserve blood, medicine, and food during World War II. His work also played a pivotal role in the cinema industry, as he developed the first process for synchronizing sound with motion pictures.

Born in Covington, Kentucky, Jones faced significant early challenges. Raised by a Catholic priest after his mother left and his father passed away, Jones left school at an early age and began working in various jobs, including as a mechanic. His mechanical skills and self-taught knowledge of electronics led him to work on innovative audio technology in the 1920s, ultimately securing a role with Joseph A. Numero’s company, where he developed sound equipment for movie projectors. His most notable cinema achievement was converting silent movie projectors into audio-visual ones.

In 1938, Jones began work on refrigeration technology, creating the Thermo Control Model A, the first automatic truck refrigeration unit. This innovation was vital during WWII, enabling the preservation of supplies for medical and military use. Jones co-founded the U.S. Thermo Control Company, which became Thermo King, a global leader in refrigeration units. His work in refrigeration earned him the National Medal of Technology in 1991, making him the first African American to receive this honor.

Jones’s numerous patents also included a portable X-ray machine, a snowmobile prototype, and a movie ticket dispenser. His achievements have been widely recognized, and he was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2007. Jones’s inventions continue to impact industries today, solidifying his place as a visionary engineer and inventor.

Sources:

Books:

  • Labate, S. (2018). The Genius of Frederick McKinley Jones: Kentucky’s African-American Inventor.

Websites:

Address

Johns Hopkins University
2800 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218

Email

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