Alfred Mellowes | |
|---|---|
| Born | Alfred Wytheman Mellowes April 7, 1879 Dayton, Ohio, U.S.[1] |
| Died | February 1, 1960 (aged 80) Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupation | Electrical engineer |
| Spouse | Laura Feller McCoy |
Alfred Wytheman Mellowes (1879-1960) was an electrical engineer who made the first self-contained electric refrigerator in 1915 in Fort Wayne.
In 1916, he founded the Guardian Frigerator Company in partnership with J. W. Murray whose business would manufacture the "frigerators" in Detroit.[2][3] The business was unsuccessful initially as the rate of production was low.[3] William C. Durant inspected the production line and advised Murray to buy out the business.[3] In 1918, Durant then bought the business from Murray and renamed the company Frigidaire.[2][3] Durant then sold the business to his other company, General Motors, in 1919.[2][3] The company was subsequently moved to Dayton, Ohio where Mellowes was born.