Frederick McKinley Jones (1893 - 1961)

Born 17 May 1893 in Cincinnati, Ohio

Died 21 Feb 1961 at age 67 in Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota, United States

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Biography

Fred Jones is Notable.

Frederick McKinley Jones was an American inventor, entrepreneur, and an inductee of the National Inventors Hall of Fame. In 1991, he was posthumously awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. He was the first African American to receive this accolade.

Frederick McKinley Jones was born in 1893, the son of Irish-born John Jones and an unknown African-American mother. He may have been born in Cincinnati, Ohio, or Covington, Kentucky.

When the U.S. entered World War I in 1917, Jones was placed with an all-black unit in France until the military honchos realized his innate mechanical ability. Soon in high demand, he was promoted to sergeant and asked to work as an electrician, eventually even teaching electrical circuitry to fellow soldiers.^[1]

Fred married May B unknown about 1921, in Minnesota, and by the 5th April 1930, Fred, by then 36 years of age and an electrician running his own Radio Shop, was living in Hallock Township, Kittson County, Minnesota, with May (28).^[2]

Patents

Frederick Jones was granted a total of 61 patents over his lifetime. They include:

1. U.S. Patent 2,163,754 was issued on June 27, 1939 – Ticket dispensing machine.
2. U.S. Patent D132,182 was issued on April 28, 1942 – Design for air conditioning unit.
3. U.S. Patent 2,336,735 was issued on December 14, 1943 – Removable cooling units for compartments.
4. U.S. Patent 2,337,164 was issued on December 21, 1943 – Means for automatically stopping and starting gas engines.
5. U.S. Patent 2,376,968 was issued on May 29, 1945 – Two-cycle gas engine.
6. U.S. Patent 2,417,253 was issued on March 11, 1947 – Two-cycle gas engine.
7. U.S. Patent 2,475,841 was issued on July 12, 1949 – Automatic refrigeration system for long-haul trucks.
8. U.S. Patent 2,475,842 was issued on July 12, 1949 – Starter generator.
9. U.S. Patent 2,475,843 was issued on July 12, 1949 – Means operated by a starter generator for cooling a gas engine.
10. U.S. Patent 2,477,377 was issued on July 26, 1949 – Means for thermostatically operating gas engines.
11. U.S. Patent 2,504,841 was issued on April 18, 1950 – Rotary compressor.
12. U.S. Patent 2,509,099 was issued on May 23, 1950 – System for controlling operation of refrigeration units.
13. U.S. Patent D159,209 was issued on July 4, 1950 – Design for air conditioning unit.
14. U.S. Patent 2,523,273 was issued on September 26, 1950 – Engine actuated ventilating system.
15. U.S. Patent 2,526,874 was issued on October 24, 1950 – Apparatus for heating or cooling atmosphere within an enclosure.
16. U.S. Patent 2,535,682 was issued on December 26, 1950 – Prefabricated refrigerator construction.
17. U.S. Patent 2,581,956 was issued on January 8, 1952 – Refrigeration control device.
18. U.S. Patent 2,666,298 was issued on January 19, 1954 – Methods and means of defrosting a cold diffuser.
19. U.S. Patent 2,696,086 was issued on December 7, 1954 – Method and means for air conditioning.
20. U.S. Patent 2,780,923 was issued on February 12, 1957 – Method and means for preserving perishable foodstuffs in transit.
21. U.S. Patent 2,850,001 was issued on September 2, 1958 – Control device for internal combustion engine.
22. U.S. Patent 2,926,005 was issued on February 23, 1960 – Thermostat and temperature control system.

Sources

1. ↑ Star Tribune obituary: From tiny Hallock to huge inventions
2. ↑ Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. United States of America, Bureau of the Census. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.: 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls. Year: 1930; Census Place: Hallock, Kittson, Minnesota; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 0011; FHL microfilm: 2340838

• "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K87J-CGD : 13 March 2018), Fred M Jones, 1917-1918; citing Kittson County, Minnesota, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,675,513.

• "United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKCC-76BF : 13 October 2017), Fred Mckinley Jones, 27 Apr 1942; citing NARA microfilm publication M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/850319/fred-mckinley-jones : accessed 07 Feb 2019), memorial page for Fred McKinley “Casey” Jones (17 May 1893–21 Feb 1961), Find A Grave: Memorial #850319, citing Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, USA ; Originally Created by: US Veterans Affairs Office (contributor 5) ; Maintained by ShaneO (contributor 47009366).

• Encyclopedia.com

• Distinguished African American Scientists of the 20th Century, Oryx Press, 1996. Pages 193-196.

See also:

• Wikipedia : Frederick McKinley Jones
• Wikidata: Item Q5498379, en:Wikipedia