Most of us only know that air conditioners make our lives more comfortable during the summer heat. This device might not seem particularly impressive, yet it’s hard to imagine getting through a productive workday in the warmer months without it. It’s important to know the man who gave the world this brilliant invention: New York native Willis Carrier. This talented engineer seemed destined to solve one of humanity’s most pressing problems—controlling indoor temperature. Willis Carrier is recognized as one of the 10 most influential people of the 20th century, making his contribution to science and technology difficult to overstate. Read more at new-york-future.
Early Life, Education, and Key Biographical Facts
Willis Carrier was born on November 26, 1876, in a small town near New York. His mother, Elizabeth Haviland, was a strict parent who didn’t tolerate laziness. Books and textbooks were young Willis’s main source of entertainment, and he devoted a lot of time to his studies. However, he struggled with one particular topic: fractions. To explain the complex subject, Elizabeth cut a whole apple into pieces to represent the fractions. Carrier later said this was the most important lesson of his life, as it demonstrated the importance of finding an intellectual solution to a problem.
Willis’s father, Duane Carrier, also had a great influence on his son’s upbringing. Duane was a farmer and often involved the future engineer in farm work. Sometimes, they even built primitive refrigerators and ventilation systems together. Duane also instilled in his son a love for nature and all living things.
The gifted young man was an academic prodigy and graduated high school with top honors. He then received a scholarship to attend the prestigious Cornell University in New York. While the scholarship helped, it barely covered his food and housing, so Willis constantly worked odd jobs, including mowing lawns and working as a stoker. He also earned money by managing a laundry service that he organized himself.
In 1909, Willis Carrier earned his master’s degree in engineering and got a job at Buffalo Forge Company, where he designed heating systems for drying lumber and coffee. Thanks to a breakthrough design he completed quickly, the company saved more than $40,000, which was then used to finance his future inventions.
The Most Important Invention of Willis Carrier’s Life
On July 17, 1902, Willis Carrier designed the first modern air conditioner for a New York printing company. The device allowed the company to control the humidity and temperature in the printing shop. He patented his invention, which he called an “Apparatus for Treating Air,” in 1906. The idea for this genius invention came to Willis during a walk on a foggy day. He began to move through the fog and realized that he could dry the air by passing it through water and creating a fog of his own. This insight led to the possibility of creating air with a specific moisture content.
Carrier later coined the term “air conditioning” and defined its four main tasks: maintaining a specific temperature and humidity, cleaning the air, and ensuring proper air distribution and ventilation in a room. His invention paved the way for the development of many industries that form the backbone of the U.S. economy. The invention of the air conditioner made it possible to produce food in large quantities, develop the defense industry, and so on. Additionally, the lives of everyday citizens significantly improved, as the problem of unbearable summer heat was finally solved.
For his invention, Willis Carrier received honorary doctorates from Lehigh University in 1935 and Alfred University in 1942. The distinguished engineer passed away in his hometown of New York on October 7, 1950.