The impact of Jones’ innovations are never truly appreciated until you think about the portable cooling units he designed
The question of whose life matters is a hot topic these days. When you look at it logically, the importance of one’s life cannot be fully judged until it has ended and that applies equally to all people. Another unavoidable truth of life is that it is not fair. Short people have a tough time on the basketball court while tall people struggle in an airplane. It usually balances out but some people who accomplish great deeds under tough circumstances remain unsung heroes outside their chosen field. One of those unsung heroes was Frederick McKinley Jones (1893-1961). A quick Google search will reveal that he was a man of humble roots, a bi-racial child in the days of Jim Crow and that he is considered a giant in the field of refrigeration. Of his 61 patents, 40 were related to refrigeration and air conditioning including one in 1943 for removable cooling units for compartments. He co-founded Thermo-King and developed HVAC systems for bus, shuttle, and passenger rail applications. The impact of Jones’ innovations are never truly appreciated until you think about the portable cooling units he designed. They helped preserve food, medicine and blood that was delivered to army hospitals and even open battlefields during WW 2. What makes Jones’ story more incredible is that he was a virtual orphan at the age of seven, was raised in a Catholic rectory, and got his first job as a cleaning boy at age 11. His life did not amount to much as a cleaner but when he died in 1961, his was a life that mattered more than almost anyones.