On today’s episode of 28 Days of Black Excellence we feature local Minnesotan, Frederick McKinley Jones, an inventor best known for the development of refrigeration equipment used to transport food and blood during World War II. His invention radically altered American consumer’s eating habits; now people could eat eat fresh produce across the United States during the middle of summer or winter. Our musical pairing is “The Locomotion” by Gerry Gofin and Carole King performed by Little Eva.
Frederick McKinley Jones (1893-1961)
Notable Achievements: Jones’s pioneering designs for mobile refrigeration units led to the formation of the Thermo-King Corporation (Minneapolis) in 1935 and revolutionized the field of transport refrigeration for trucks, railcars, and ships. Frederick Jones also developed an air-conditioning unit for military field hospitals and a refrigerator for military field kitchens. Frederick Jones patented more than 60 inventions, but is best known for inventing a practical automatic refrigeration system for long-haul trucks.
Learn More
- https://aaregistry.org/story/frederick-mckinley-jones-innovator-of-many-devices/
- https://www.invent.org/inductees/frederick-mckinley-jones
- https://www.biography.com/inventor/frederick-jones
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