Frederick McKinley Jones: Black Minnesota inventor pioneered refrigerated transportation

When you go to the supermarket, your pick of fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers is at your fingertips year-round. But did you know a Black American inventor from Minnesota is responsible for creating the technology that makes that possible?

Frederick McKinley Jones is best known for his invention of the portable refrigeration unit, a hallmark invention that helped keep blood and perishable goods refrigerated during World War II. As a child, Jones had a knack for mechanics, teaching himself mechanical and electrical engineering. Orphaned by the age of seven, Jones was raised by a priest at a Catholic rectory until he left school after the 6th grade. Fending for himself, he found work in various odd jobs. He eventually landed in Hallock, Minnesota where he received a job doing mechanical work at a farm. He educated himself on mechanics in his spare time and by the time he was 20 years old, Jones secured an engineering license in Minnesota. He also served in World War I and was often called to make repairs on machines and other equipment. After the war, he returned to the farm.

It was on this Hallock farm where Jones developed his signature inventions. From building a transmitter to broadcast the local radio station’s programming, to creating a device to combine moving pictures with sound, his accomplishments extended far beyond the supply chain industry. It wasn’t until the 1930s that he designed and patented a portable air cooling unit for trucks to carry perishable food. With this invention, he started the U.S. Thermo Control Company, which grew exponentially during World War II.

Over the course of his career, Jones received more than 60 patents. While the majority pertained to refrigeration technologies, others related to X-ray machines, engines and sound equipment.

Jones was recognized for his achievements both during his lifetime and after his death. In 1944, he became the first Black American elected to the American Society of Refrigeration Engineers. Jones died of lung cancer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on February 21, 1961.

In 1991, President George H.W. Bush awarded the National Medal of Technology posthumously to Numero and Jones, presenting the awards to their widows at a ceremony held in the White House Rose Garden. Jones was the first Black American to receive the award. He was inducted into the Minnesota Inventors Hall of Fame in 1977. Jones’s refrigeration inventions transformed the supply chain industry, allowing goods to be transported easier and at appropriate temperatures.