When modern air conditioning first became widely available, this innovation was focused on larger buildings, such as movie theaters, offices and manufacturing. In fact, the first air-conditioned theater in the U.S. was right here in Chicago, the Central Park Theater at 3535 W. Roosevelt, in North Lawndale which opened in 1917 and still operates today.
Air conditioning was unheard of in houses at the time – but we all have Margaret Ingles to thank for bringing the climate control technology into our homes, making us much more comfortable and healthier at the same time.
Here at Maertin Heating & Cooling, we are pleased to introduce you to Margaret.
The tale about Ingels “aha” moment is that she became fascinated with the science of cooling as a child, while observing condensation on a glass during a warm Kentucky summer. While an interesting story, Margaret Ingels didn’t originally set out to solve America’s cooling challenges. Born in 1892, she attended the University of Kentucky and, because of her interest and fascination with science and engineering, enrolled in the Mechanical Engineering program.
Ingels thrived in the M.E. program, enjoying support from the dean and respect from her male classmates. In 1916, she became the first female engineering graduate of the University of Kentucky and only the second woman in the country with such a degree. But even then, she didn’t show an interest in the science of cooling. Instead, she took a job with the Chicago Telephone Company, engineering solutions for phone traffic.
A year later, she would take a job in Pittsburgh with the Carrier Engineering Corporation – and that’s where the cooling magic began.
Willis Carrier, owner of the company and the pioneer in air conditioning technology, quickly recognized Ingels talent and directed her back to the University of Kentucky where she became the first woman to earn the professional degree in Mechanical Engineering. Ingels then went to work for the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers. There, Ingels made significant contributions to the science of not only cooling, but also cleaning air by maintaining proper humidity and measuring the amount of germ-laden dust.
Besides demonstrating how air conditioning could improve air quality, Ingels perfected the sling psychrometer, a device that measures relative humidity, a variable in the proper cooling and cleaning of air. She also wrote more than 45 technical papers and an article titled Petticoats and Slide Rules, discussing American women who were pioneers in the engineering field.
President Herbert Hoover installed the first air conditioning in the West Wing of the White House in 1930, spending about $30,000. Along with Willis Carrier, Hoover then enlisted Ingels for a speaking tour to help homeowners across the nation – and particularly in the South – understand how air conditioning could provide comfort and cleanliness for single-family homes. She delivered over 200 speeches to more than 12,000 people over the course of 20 years. At the end of her professional career, Ingels authored the biography on her friend and boss, Willis Carrier.
In 1952, Ingels was celebrated by the Western Society of Engineers. In her speech, she didn’t focus on her mentors like the Kentucky dean or Willis Carrier. She didn’t focus on that story of glass beading with condensation on a hot day. Instead, Margaret Ingels remembered every precocious girl and clever woman who solved big problems. While remembering those women, Ingels noted she also had an obligation to widen the path for women yet to come in the field of engineering and the world more broadly.
In that way, Margaret Ingels isn’t just an early figure in the science of air conditioning, but an early advocate of celebrating and advancing women in science.
If you have questions about your air conditioning, just send Maertin Heating & Cooling a message. We are happy to help!