Blacks invented despite the odds -- Part 7


Frederick M. Jones was a self-taught mechanical engineer. Jones had
a wide range of expertise from auto repairs to radio transmitter technology.

 Note: This is the final article of a seven-part series about black inventors in honor of Black History Month.

By Craig T. Greenlee

As America entered the 1930s, most of the travel lines linking the country together had been developed. Many products could be transported by truck or be shipped anywhere in the U.S.

This wasn't true for many food products. Spoilage was the chief culprit that prevented many food producers from earning the profits they desired.

Frederick M. Jones, a refrigeration engineer, reversed that trend by patenting an automatic refrigeration system for long-distance trucks in 1935. His cooling system used one of his previous inventions, the self-starting gasoline motor.

Jones's refrigeration system allowed producers to transport a wide variety of fresh meats, seafood, poultry, vegetables and fruits -- to great distances. It no longer mattered how far consumers lived from the oceans, stockyards, orchards and produce farms. They could buy the items they wanted without having to worry about food going bad.

This system was first used on trucks and was soon adopted by shippers and the railroads.


Jones's work was not limited to his refrigeration specialty. He also created the first portable X-ray machine and an air conditioning unit that was used in military field hospitals.

Present-day demand for black engineers and scientists is great, which represents quite a turnaround from the past. But keep in mind that this demand is not due to any sudden emergence of creative and scientific brilliance on the part of black folks. 

The ability to be innovative has always been present. Yet, it was not encouraged because of racial myopia. Even so, blacks have made significant contributions in these fields, in spite of having to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.

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