The American Truck Historical Society (ATHS) recently inducted Thermo King’s Frederick McKinley Jones into the ATHS Hall of Fame during a ceremony in Kansas City, Missouri.
Jones’ ingenuity created Thermo King and the transport refrigeration industry in 1938, Thermo King reported. His enduring legacy also includes more than 60 patents, an election into the American Society of Refrigeration Engineers, a National Medal of Technology, and a spot in the Minnesota Inventors Hall of Fame.
Nearly 100 people were in attendance to honor Jones as his plaque was unveiled on the ATHS Hall of Fame wall and a brief history of his accomplishments was shared. To further commemorate the recognition, local Thermo King dealership CSTK donated a 1940s Model D Thermo King unit to the ATHA library.
“We are extremely proud of our rich heritage here at Thermo King, which started back with Fred Jones who designed the first portable air-cooling unit for trucks,” Adam Wittwer, Thermo King Americas president, said in a news release. “Not only did he become Thermo King’s first engineer, but his innovative spirit continues to inspire our business—and the transport refrigeration industry.”
Jones was honored alongside other 2024 inductees, including John Ruan, founder of Ruan Transportation Systems; Robert Young, who built ABF into one of the top carriers in the U.S.; and Marvin Rush, founder of Rush Enterprises, the largest truck dealer network in the country.
The ATHS, which was founded in 1971, is made up of approximately 16,000 members. Its Kansas City headquarters is home to an extensive library of books, periodicals, truck and parts manuals, company histories and an assortment of related truck and trucking historical information.
The society established its Hall of Fame in 2021 to provide recognition to individuals who have had a significant impact in the Truck and Trucking industries. The very first honorees were Clessie Cummins, founder of what is today, Cummins, and Jack and Gus Mack, founders of Mack Trucks.
