Willis Haviland Carrier is the man who helped develop the modern air-conditioning system that we use today.
He was called the "King of Cool"
Chapter 1: His Early Life
Mr. Carrier was born on November 26, 1876 in Angola, New York. His parents' names were Duane Williams Carrier and Elizabeth Haviland.
He went to Cornell University to study engineering. He graduated in 1901.
When he was in college, he became interested in temperature and humidity.
Chapter 2: His Invention
On July 17, 1902, when he was living in Buffalo, New York, he designed what is known as the first modern air-conditioning system. It was for a company called Sackett-Wilhelms Lithographing & Publishing Company of Brooklyn.
Carrier felt that for people to be comfortable, temperature and humidity should be controlled. People loved his air-conditioner! They thought it was comfortable and refreshing!
Today we still use the equations he came up with when we build new air-conditioners.
Chapter 3: His Company
In 1914, Carrier and others he worked with started a company called the Carrier Engineering Corporation. It later became the Carrier Corporation. His company is still in business today.
At first air conditioners were just used in factories where it was important to control temperature. Soon it became popular for theatres to have them for the comfort of their audience. They wanted more people to come to the theatre in the hot summer weather.
Today many buildings, cars and homes use air-conditioning.
Even though Willis Haviland Carrier died in 1950, he will always be remembered for being the inventor of modern air-conditioning.
