Frederick McKinley Jones facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frederick McKinley Jones
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| Born | May 17, 1893 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
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| Died | February 21, 1961 (aged 67) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
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Frederick McKinley Jones was a brilliant American inventor, engineer, and businessman. He is most famous for inventing mobile refrigeration units, which changed how fresh food and other important items could be transported long distances. Because of his amazing work, he is often called the "Father of Refrigerated Transportation" and the "King of Cool."
Jones received 61 patents during his lifetime, with 40 of them related to refrigeration technology. He also made big improvements to sound systems for movie theaters. He even helped start a company called Thermo King, which is still a leader in refrigeration today.
Frederick McKinley Jones: The King of Cool
Early Life and His First Steps in Mechanics
Frederick Jones was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on May 17, 1893. His mother left when he was very young. His father, John Jones, worked on the railroad and found it hard to raise Frederick alone.
When Frederick was about seven, a kind Catholic priest, Father Ryan, took him in. Two years later, his father passed away. Frederick left school at age 11 after finishing sixth grade. He started working odd jobs in nearby Cincinnati, like cleaning a garage. By the time he was 14, he was already a skilled automobile mechanic. He soon became the garage foreman. Frederick was mostly self-taught, meaning he learned many things on his own through practice and curiosity.
A Career Full of Innovations
Becoming a Skilled Engineer
In 1912, when he was 19, Jones moved to Hallock, Minnesota. There, he worked as a mechanic on a huge 50,000-acre farm. The farm belonged to James J. Hill, who also owned a big railroad company. Being close to the railroad helped Jones learn a lot about electricity and steam engines.
He lived in Hallock for over 20 years. He felt that people there judged him by his skills and character, not by his skin color. People in Hallock even called him "Casey" because of a railroad engineer he met. By age 20, Jones had earned his engineering license, and he later upgraded it to the highest level.
Serving in World War I
During World War I, Jones joined the U.S. Army. His amazing mechanical skills were quickly noticed. He was promoted to sergeant and worked as an electrician, even teaching other soldiers. He was responsible for setting up electricity, telegraph, and telephone services for his army camp.
Making Movies Sound Better
After the war, Jones returned to Hallock. He continued working as a mechanic while learning more about electronics. He built the first radio station transmitter for the town! He also invented a special device that could combine sound with motion pictures.
This caught the attention of Joseph A. Numero, a businessman from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Numero hired Jones in 1927 to improve the audio equipment his company made. Jones worked on changing silent movie projectors into ones that could play sound. He also invented a machine to dispense tickets for movie theaters.
Inventing Mobile Refrigeration
Around 1938, Joseph Numero asked Jones to design a portable cooling unit for trucks. Numero needed a way to stop food from spoiling during long trips. Jones created the "Thermo Control Model A," an automatic refrigeration unit for trucks. This unit attached to the bottom of trucks and sent cold air into the trailer.
The Model A was a bit heavy, so Jones later made the Model B, which was lighter but not as strong. In 1941, he perfected the Model C. This unit was compact, light, and strong enough to handle bumpy roads. It mounted right on the front of the truck.
Jones filed for a patent for his Model A in 1939, and it was approved in 1949. Numero sold his movie equipment business and started a new company with Jones. This company was called the U.S. Thermo Control Company, which later became Thermo King Corporation. By 1949, this company was a huge success.
Jones's portable cooling units were incredibly important during World War II. They helped keep blood, medicine, and food fresh for army hospitals and soldiers on battlefields. After the war, these units became available for everyone, changing how fresh food was delivered all over the world.
Other Amazing Ideas
Frederick Jones didn't stop at refrigeration. He also developed a portable X-ray machine, which was a big deal for doctors. He even created an early version of a snowmobile, which he called a "snow machine." It had skis attached to an airplane fuselage and a propeller to move it! He also invented a device to keep sound and video perfectly in sync for movies.
Awards and Special Honors
Frederick Jones was recognized for his many inventions and contributions.
- In 1944, Jones became the first African-American member of the American Society of Refrigeration Engineers.
- In 1977, after he passed away, he was honored by being included in the Minnesota Inventors Hall of Fame.
- In 1991, Jones and Joseph A. Numero were both awarded the National Medal of Technology. This is one of the highest honors for inventors in the United States. President George Bush presented the awards to their wives at the White House. Jones was the first African American to receive this prestigious award.
- In 1996, his Thermo King Model C refrigeration unit was named an International Mechanical Engineering Landmark. He had built the prototype using parts he found in a junkyard!
- In 2007, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, celebrated as a "Visionary Veteran."
- In the March 2009 issue of Heavy Duty Truck magazine, editor Tom Berg called him "The King of Cool." He wrote that Jones's inventions changed the global marketplace.
- In 2015, a playground in Minneapolis was created to honor Black heritage. It features train-themed equipment and a plaque explaining Jones's mobile refrigeration technology.
- In 2022, several Black-owned breweries honored Jones during Black History Month. They released special beers with the likeness of notable figures in Black history, including Jones.
His Lasting Impact
Frederick McKinley Jones passed away on February 21, 1961, at the age of 67 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He passed away before his wife, Lucille. He continued to file for patents almost until his death, receiving his last one in February 1960.
An obituary in the Saturday Evening Post described his unique way of inventing. It said, "Most engineers start at the bottom of a project and work up, but Fred takes a flying leap to the top of the mountain and then backs down, cutting steps for himself and the rest of us as he goes." This shows how innovative and forward-thinking he was.
A Legacy of Patents
Frederick McKinley Jones was a prolific inventor, receiving 61 patents in total. Forty of these were for his groundbreaking refrigeration equipment. Other patents were for movie theater devices and improvements to gasoline engines.
