Getting to Know the Inventors Who Shaped the Modern HVAC Industry
Black inventors throughout history have not been given the same recognition as their white peers and often have others take credit for their valuable contributions. In today’s blog post, readers can get to know the black inventors who revolutionized heating and cooling.
David Crosthwait
Born in Nashville at the height of the Jim Crow Era, David Crosthwait is a black inventor who engineered the first-ever vacuum pump. This was a huge advancement in the heating and cooling field. His engineering specialty was developing heating and cooling devices for large buildings.
During the 1920s and 1930s, David Crosthwait would make multiple significant contributions by developing temperature regulation devices. He engineered the boiler and the thermostat. One of his biggest accomplishments was developing the heating and cooling systems for the prestigious Rockefeller Center and the New York Radio City Music Hall.
Alice Parker
Alice Parker was a black woman inventor who created the gas furnace with ductwork and patented it in 1919. The invention of the natural gas furnace was a complete game-changer for the HVAC industry. Natural gas furnaces connected to a central heating ductwork system are now among the most common heating systems in modern homes.
Alice Parker’s specialty was not heating and cooling, but she saw the need for a safer fuel alternative for heating and set out to find a solution. The cold New Jersey winters she lived through made her realize the need for a better heating system. Her invention made furnaces safer to prevent accidental fires.
Lewis Latimer
Lewis Latimer is mostly known for the contributions he made to the invention of the telephone and the lightbulb. Still, few know about this black inventor’s indoor air quality control advancements. He contributed to the advancement of multiple home service industries, including home electrical systems, toilet hardware, and air quality control.
He invented the very first version of the air conditioner, and in the years that followed, he and his fellow inventors would tweak the design until it became what is known as the modern air conditioner.
He worked with notable names like Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison to invent the telephone and lightbulb. Like many black inventors, he has not received the same level of attention as his white colleagues. This Black History Month, our HVAC experts are proud to honor the achievements and valuable contributions in heating and cooling by African Americans.
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