The details of Alice H. Parker’s life are scarce. She was likely born in 1895 in Morristown, New Jersey. Though no known photograph of her exists, we know she was black. Which shouldn't matter. Yet it does. For college, Alice attended Howard University. Beyond that, much of her story remains unknown, including when and how she passed away, though it is believed her death happened around 1920.
But one detail is clear. In 1919, Alice did something extraordinary. She received a patent for a gas-powered central heating system, placing her among a rare group of inventors.
Having grown up in the Northeast, Alice knew all too well winter's frigid cold and the exhausting work required to keep a home warm. In those days, one had to constantly tend to wood and coal fires, and warmth was often uneven, with rooms farthest from the stove left in the chill. Alice imagined something better, a system that could distribute heat throughout a home efficiently and reliably.
Alice proposed using natural gas, rather than coal or wood, as the primary heating source. The design included a network of ducts that would allow heat to flow to different rooms, offering a level of control and convenience that was uncommon at the time. Central heating did exist in some large buildings, but Alice's approach pointed toward a future where natural gas could be used in everyday homes.
Though Alice’s system was never manufactured, her ideas were ahead of their time. Natural gas heating would eventually become standard in American homes, and the principles behind Alice's design played a role in that evolution.
Sources:
“Alice H. Parker Central Heating with Natural Gas.” Lemelson - MIT, https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/alice-h-parker
Henderson, Audrey. “What we know about Alice Parker, a ‘hidden figure’ in modern heating.” Canary Media, February 28, 2022, https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/enn/what-we-know-about-alice-parker-a-hidden-figure-in-modern-heating
Wow,Who Knew?! Great piece of Black History, Thank You, and will reStack ASAP 🙏💯👍