Frederick McKinley Jones (b. born May 17, 1893, Cincinnati, OH-d. Feb. 21, 1961, Minneapolis, MN) was an African-American inventor, entrepreneur. He is best known for his invention for refrigeration improvements that allowed better long-haul transportation of perishable goods.
He left school after 6th grade and worked as an automobile mechanic before moving to Hallock, MN in 1912. After his service with the U.S. Army during World War I, Jones taught himself electronics and built a transmitter for the town's new radio station. Around 1938, Jones designed a portable air-cooling unit for trucks carrying perishable food, and received a patent for it on July 12, 1940. With Joseph A. Numero, Jones formed the Thermo King Corporation which became a $3 million business by 1949. In the 1950s he was consultant to the U.S. Department of Defense and the Bureau of Standards.
