Get To Know the Women Who Helped Shape the HVAC Industry!
Though women have historically been outnumbered in the HVAC industry, they have not stopped making waves in heating and cooling. Female scientists and amateurs alike have a long history of significant contributions that have shaped the modern HVAC industry.
The field is continuing to have more representation and opportunities for women. In this article, HVAC professionals share the story of some of the women who have had the biggest impact on the appliances homeowners still rely on today!
Alice H. Parker - An Original Inventor
A true revolutionary in many ways, Alice H. Parker was one of the pioneer inventors in the HVAC industry. She was also an African American inventor during a time that was not open-minded about people of color, especially women. Alice filed a patent on December 23, 1919, well before the Civil Rights Movement or The Women's Liberation Movement.
Her patent described a system that took cool air and heated it by forcing the air through a heat exchanger before being pumped into individual rooms. Parker's design ran on natural gas, opposed to coal or wood-burning, which was novel for the time. Motivated by her dissatisfaction with her fireplace during the long New Jersey winters, Alice H. Parker created a lasting impact on the HVAC Industry.
Margaret Ingels - The First Graduate
Margaret Ingels is another woman before her time that contributed to the modern HVAC industry. Ingels was the first woman to graduate with a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Kentucky in 1920. She was only the second woman to complete a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in the United States. Working at the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers, Ingels invented a device that measured the amount of dust in the air.
This was revolutionary because it let technicians test and enforce air quality standards more easily in public spaces. Later in her career, she designed a device called a sling psychrometer which gives readings on the humidity in the air. Going on to write over 45 technical papers and 200 speeches, Margaret Ingels was truly a credit to her profession and was one of the first female engineers to gain the respect of her male peers.
Women in HVAC Today
Today, women are much more likely to be in all engineering industries, not just HVAC. Recently, the 10th Annual Women in HVACR Conference was held in Philadelphia and was well attended. Organizations like Women in HVACR seek to improve the lives of female members who are working in HVACR. While still outnumbered, women are continuing to bring innovation and leadership to the HVAC industry.
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