U.S. Census Bureau Black History Month Feature for Feb. 25

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily Black History Month feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090226/CENSUSLOGO)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25: FREDERICK JONES

Profile America for the 25th day of Black History Month. One of the people responsible for the way we eat today is African-American inventor Frederick Jones, a largely self-taught wizard of mechanics and electricity. He developed the first mobile refrigeration unit for trucks, which was also adapted for trains and ships, allowing food to be safely shipped long distances. His portable cooling units were vital in World War II — preserving blood, medicines and food for front-line hospitals. Frederick Jones was granted more than 60 patents, 40 of them in the field of refrigeration. During this decade, an average of 162,000 patents have been granted for inventions annually. This special edition of Profile America is a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau, conducting the 2010 Census beginning April 1st.

Sources: www.blackinventor.com

Statisical Abstract of the United States 2009, t. 748

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look under the "Newsroom" button).

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau