Parker, Alice H – Inventor of the Gas Furnace
By
John C Abercrombie
Today is day 25 of the 31-day tribute to 31 amazing Black women we should all know.
We enjoy the products of brilliant minds each and every day without thought to who developed or improved them. During our winter season many of us are able to entertain our brain with comfort as a result. This post will feature an unlikely member of that group that is further minimalized in our discoveries of the world around us.
A woman by the name of Alice H Parker is credited with the invention of the gas furnace. She is also unique in the fact that she is a highly trained Black female. A product of Howard University in our Nation’s Capital city, Washington, DC.
Principals of her discovery are adapted to use year-round. Thus, we have comfort throughout the seasons, thanks to Alice H Parker.
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We enjoy the products of brilliant minds each and every day without thought to who developed or improved them. During our winter season many of us are able to entertain our brain with comfort as a result. This post will feature an unlikely member of that group that is further minimalized in our discoveries of the world around us.
A woman by the name of Alice H Parker is credited with the invention of the gas furnace. She is also unique in the fact that she is a highly trained Black female. A product of Howard University in our Nations Capital city, Washington, DC.
Howard University is a private, federally charted historically Black research university located in Washington, DC. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) have always admitted students of all races. The distinction is that they have been welcoming of Black student while White institutions would not admit them. These are accredited institutions and worthy of consideration in your search for a quality institution for education. Howard has high research activity and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Alice H Parker is fortunate in being able to attend as it was difficult for many Black and White to attend institutions of higher learning when she did, graduating with honors in 1910. Women of all races faced difficulties when pursuing higher education.
The idea of central heating has been around since the Roman Empire but had not advanced much during the time that Parker became interested in improving the concept. Most heating relied on coal or wood burning. Many homes and businesses in the early twentieth century had fireplaces or stoves in each room or area. Parker believed that it was possible to make a gas furnace and used that idea to develop a heating system that contained individually controlled air ducts to distribute heat throughout the building. A unique feature of this system is that it allowed for what is referred to as zone heating where the temperature can be set to individual parts of a building. This system is utilized extensively today.
There were other positives that were derived from the use of central heating units as it did not require a fire to be burned continually and eliminated a large number of structure fires. Keep in mind that many people did not have hot water until they built a fire to either heat the water on a stove or pipes that ran through a wood or coal fired stove.
With a central unit, it gave rise to the use of thermostats, zone heating and forced air to furnaces. Thermostats are able to regulate temperature within a narrow range and provide heat or later cooling to a room or zone. Many thermostats have the ability to be programmed and provide temperatures that vary, such as a bedroom or living room for various needs through out the day. This feature can be energy saving and provide comfort within minutes.
Alice H Parker’s filing of a patent is also unique in that it was before the Civil Rights Movement and the Women’s Liberation Movement, making her accomplishments all the more impressive. Keep in mind that many inventions and patents did not give credit or as in the case of Parker, much financial gain, they were still of great importance to all mankind and should have been used to inspire others to reach higher levels of success.
The filing of a patent required the skills of a knowledgeable person, often a patent attorney. Many Blacks did not have the financial means to hire one to protect their rights. Thus, when we do see a patent filed by a person of color, it is extraordinary to start with. Blacks were not the only ones who faced these challenges as they often affected the poor of all races.
As we review the details of Alice H Parker, we find in her background the formal training that made her discovery possible, we also see that there was proximity to resources that may have aided her in filing the patent. As we are on this subject, we often don’t recognize the area of the law that deals with patents and associated matters.
As you watch the accompanying videos, you will see some of the difficulties that people face when doing primary research and should also be a lesson to those going genealogical research that many names, and dates vary due to the fact that they relied on handwritten notations. It is commonly seen that names may be misspelled, dates estimated allowing for widespread between recorded and actual.
Many people have heard stories of accomplishments within their family or community that can be verified by deep research but have been ignored because we don’t have the belief that they can be verified. We need more people to set history straight. Could this be you?
The National Society of Black Physicists honored Parker as an “African American Inventor famous for her patented system of central heating using natural gas.” The Society called her invention revolutionary and a way to conserve energy that paved the way for central heating systems.
The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce established the Alice H Parker Women Leaders in Innovation Award to honor women who use their “talent, hard work and ‘outside-the-box’ thinking to create economic opportunities and help make New Jersey a better place to live and work.”
Although the specific date of her death is unknown, it is thought she died in 1920 due to a fire or heat stroke.
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Parker, Alice H – Inventor of the central heating system
The inventor of the furnace, Alice H. Parker,
has an amazing story that is never told. All most people know is that the modern furnace was invented by an African-American woman named Alice H. Parker in 1919, and that’s about it. In this video we answer who invented the furnace in more detail about Alice H. Parker including information never before seen such as marital status, where she lived, and how she may have had the connections to file a patent.WHO INVENTED THE FURNACE? Alice H. Parker (New information you’ve never seen!)
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Book
Alice H. Parker and the Furnace (21st Century Junior Library: Women Innovators)
The 21st Century Junior Library Women Innovators series highlights the contributions of women to STEM fields. Alice H. Parker and the Furnace examines the life of this important woman and her contributions to the modern home heating systems. Sidebars encourage readers to engage in the material by asking deeper questions or conducting individual research. Full color photos, a glossary, and a listing of additional resources all enhance the learning experience.
Use the link below to review and or purchase this book.
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Gifts for Girls
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WHO INVENTED CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEM THAT USES NATURAL GAS
Alice H. Parker invented a central heating system that uses natural gas. Her invention played a key role in the development of the heating systems in homes today
The video can be played on YouTube simply by clicking on it.
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Book
Book Of Black Heroes: Scientists, Healers & Inventors
In this volume of the popular Book of Black Heroes series, readers will learn about the many contributions Black men and women have made in the areas of science, medicine and creative invention. Short entry biological sketches herald the ground breaking work of well-known Black heroes such as scientist, George Washington Carver and surgeon, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, and introduce the trailblazing accomplishments of other Black heroes such as inventor Lewis Latimer and Halle Johnson.
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Gifts for Boys
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ALICE H. PARKER
Alice H. Parker was an African American Inventor best known for inventing a Central Heating System that uses natural gas. She received a patent on December 23,1919. Receiving a Patent was a remarkable milestone as a woman in the 20th century. Her filling for patent preceded both the Civil Rights movement and the women’s Liberation movement which removed many of the barriers that women faced.
click the icon below to watch
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Book
Badass Black Girl: Quotes, Questions, and Affirmations for Teens (Gift for teenage girl)
A Daily Dose of Affirmations Celebrating Black Joy for Teen Girls (Ages 12-16)
“This book is a celebration, an affirmation, a history text, a little bit of memoir, and an exuberant prayer for the prosperity of Black women.”―Ashley M. Jones, author of Magic City Gospel
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Alice H. Parker – An American Inventor
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The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes: The Story of Dr. Patricia Bath (Amazing Scientists, 2)
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If you like to think big, but some say you’re too small, or they say you’re too young or too slow or too tall… Meet Dr. Bath―the scientist who never lost sight of her dreams!
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Black History: Alice Parker breaks barriers and brings the heat
There is very little known about Alice Parker, an inventor from New Jersey, who was the first to put to paper the idea of using natural gas to heat an entire home.
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While many are reluctant to uncover their ancestry, most find someone to be proud of. They are afraid because they have been subjected to the false representations in our history books that paint a dreary picture of our ancestors and contributions. Like a mighty tree, we are a product of our roots and have nothing to fear.
The kits below can start you on your journey and below that is a book to start you with information on how to get the most out of your search. Treat yourself or give as a gift. Show pride in your discoveries!
Book – Black Roots by Tony Borroughs
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While Alice H Parker had the benefit of a formal education, it is not essential. The essential ingredient is a dream and persistence to pursue it with all that it requires. Today there are many sources of information all that is missing is someone (YOU) to make the dream a reality. Never doubt your ability to make it happen!