Born November 26, 1876, in Angola, New York Earned engineering degree from Cornell University in 1901 Started working at Buffalo Forge Company in 1901 Designed the world’s first modern air conditioning system in 1902 Developed Rational Psychrometric Formulae in 1911 Founded Carrier Engineering Corporation in 1915 Awarded honorary doctorates from Lehigh University (1935) and Alfred University (1942) Died October 7, 1950, in New York City Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1985 Named one of TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century” in 1998 Willis Carrier would grow up to solve one of mankind’s most elusive challenges – controlling the indoor environment. As a child, though, he had difficulty grasping the concept of fractions. Realizing his struggles, his mother taught him by cutting whole apples into various-sized fractional pieces. He later said this lesson was the most important one that he ever learned because it taught him the value of intelligent problem-solving.

Willis Carrier: The Inventor of Modern Air Conditioning Genius can strike anywhere. For Willis Carrier, it was a foggy Pittsburgh train platform in 1902. Carrier stared through the mist and realized that he could dry air by passing it through water to create fog. Doing so would make it possible to manufacture air with specific amounts of moisture in it. Within a year, he completed his invention to control humidity – the fundamental building block for modern air conditioning. Carrier Enables Industries to Flourish The “Father of Air Conditioning,” Willis Carrier’s invention gave rise to numerous industries that power our economy today. Manufacturing of everything from baked goods to wartime supplies was made possible by air conditioning. Air conditioning led directly to summer movie blockbusters as people came to cooled theaters to escape the heat. The precise control of temperature and humidity made possible by his invention even enabled shopping malls, transatlantic flight, and the computers and servers that power the Internet.

Bringing Comfort to the World Willis Carrier recognized early on that climate, comfort and production requirements would determine the value of air conditioning. From the beginning, he began to develop a network of international dealers, distributors and customers. Success with early installations in Europe and Asia were indicators of air conditioning’s universal application across international borders. Willis Carrier’s legacy lives on today as the company he founded continues to reinvent the industry and shape the world we live in. 12 ton ac unitCarrier leads the industry with energy-efficient products and manufacturing practices. why is my ac unit freezingEvery day, Carrier brings productivity and comfort to the world through new innovations – all built on energy efficiency and sustainability.ac units for rvs

You are here » History of Air Conditioning History of Air ConditioningThe Invention That Changed The World On July 17, 1902, Willis Haviland Carrier designed the first modern air-conditioning system, launching an industry that would fundamentally improve the way we live, work and play. The Launch of Carrier Air Conditioning Company In the opening decades of the 20th century, Willis Carrier established Carrier Air Conditioning of America as the worldwide leader, advancing the science and application of air conditioning across multiple industries around the globe. Launched as an independent company in 1915 by Willis Carrier and six other courageous entrepreneurs, Carrier Engineering Corporation provided manufactured weather to over 200 industries with an unmatched promise of "the whole job, the whole responsibility, and a contract for results." The introduction of centrifugal refrigeration by Willis Carrier in 1922 was a landmark event, launching modern air conditioning from the factory floor into movie theaters, office buildings and department stores, and treating the general public to its first taste of cool, clean and comfortable "Manufactured Weather."

Weathermaker to the World Despite the Great Depression, Carrier Corporation never stopped investing in the art and science of air conditioning leading the industry in railroad and marine applications, and pioneering the creation of efficient systems for business and home. The company extended its reach to markets in every corner of the globe, enhancing its unparalleled position as "Weathermakers to the World." Carrier Corporation provided exceptional leadership throughout World War II even as it prepared diligently to meet the needs of a postwar world. In his final decade, Willis Carrier successfully completed one of the most satisfying projects of his storied career before becoming Chairman Emeritus and turning his company over to a new generation of leadership. Growing With the Babyboomers A half-century after his invention of modern air conditioning, Willis Carrier's rich legacy included the creation of a billion-dollar industry and founding of the preeminent global provider of commercial air conditioning.

In the next 25 years, Carrier Corporation grew with the postwar baby boom to become the largest player in the flourishing market for residential comfort air that would change the face of the world. The marriage of United Technologies Corporation with Carrier proved to be a formidable combination, resulting in creation of a Global Manufacturing Platform and market leadership in every region of the world, backed by an unparalleled commitment to environmental sustainability. Built on Willis Carrier's extraordinary invention of modern air conditioning and his unyielding commitment to innovation, Carrier today is a lean, focused company meeting the needs of local markets with global resources, and leading the industry with products that delight customers while protecting our fragile envirionment—natural leadership for the 21st century.According to Black Power Activists, Frederick McKinley Jones invented the air conditioner along with dozens of other things. In 1902, Dr. Willis Carrier, a white man, built the first air conditioner to combat humidity inside a printing company.

In 1906 Carrier took out the first patent for a modern air conditioner that both cooled and dehumidified. Around 1915 Carrier Engineering Corporation began manufacturing air conditioners for the public. Frederick McKinley Jones took out a patent for a truck mounted air conditioner in 1948. The patent is titled “air conditioning unit.” So the Black Power industry have used the title of his patent to say he “invented the air conditioner.” Some Black Power websites are also crediting Jones with inventing the refrigerator. Other sites credit Thomas Elkin, a black carpenter who took out a patent for a non-mechanical ice box, as the inventor of the refrigerator. One site claims Jones also invented audio and video equipment related to the movie industry. His only patent that appears unrelated to the air conditioning industry is for a ticket dispensing machine. Joseph A. Numero, a white engineer and Frederick McKinley Jones launched the Thermo King Company in 1938.