U.S. Census Bureau Black History Month Feature for February 4

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily Black History Month feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110428/DC91889LOGO)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4: FRED JONES

Profile America for the fourth day of Black History Month.  One of the people responsible for the way Americans eat today is Frederick Jones.  From his army duties in World War I, he became a self-taught master of everything electrical.  The inspiration for his most notable invention was a conversation with a truck driver who had lost a shipment of chickens on a hot day.  As a result, Jones developed the first automatic refrigeration system for long-haul trucks in 1935.  The device is also used in ships and trains.  Jones ultimately was awarded more than 60 patents.  Most recent statistics show the U.S. granted 244,000 patents annually.  Of these, 220,000 were for inventions.  Almost 17,000 were awarded to individuals.  This special edition of Profile America is a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau. 

Sources:  Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 778

Profile America Special Edition:  Black History Month  2012  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 for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). 

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau