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The History of Air Conditioning
One man's idea of "conditioning air" turned into one of the most important inventions in the modern world and why he is known as the "Father of Air Conditioning".
Dr. Willis H. Carrier was born in Angola, New York in 1876. He earned his master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Cornell
By 1915 Willis and six other engineers started the Carrier Engineering Corporation to further their quest to develop the air conditioning system to new heights. Cooling for human comfort began in 1924 when Carrier installed 3 centrifugal machines inside of the J.L. Hudson Department Store in Detroit, Michigan. The success spread to theaters and in 1928 the first ‘Weather Maker’ for private home use from Carrier was introduced. Carrier's invention eventually facilitated the growth of the microchip and pharmaceutical industries. Some even credit him for the rise of the New South and the Sun Belt.
Willis Haviland Carrier was also an exceptionally nice man and modest, according to all reports. He was a farsighted manager in his day as he believed in teamwork and mentoring; two concepts that were very rare at the time. Carrier eventually held over 80 patents when he died in 1950. Click on the images below to learn about the evolution of "conditioned air" and how it earned Dr. Carrier the title of Time Magazine's Most Important People of the 20th Century. Click on images to enlarge:
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