John Gorrie inducted into Florida Inventors Hall of Fame

Apalachicola physician and inventor Dr. John Gorrie was one of 6 inventors inducted into the inaugural class of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame this week.

John Gorrie, who lived from 1803 to 1855, invented the ice-making machine and is considered the father of air conditioning and refrigeration. 

His invention began with an attempt to cure Yellow Fever during an outbreak in Apalachicola in 1841.

He advocated the use of ice to cool sickrooms and reduce fever – at that time ice was shipped by boat from northern lakes until Gorrie’s successful experimentations with the rapid expansion of gases to create the earliest form of refrigeration.

Gorrie was officially inducted into the hall of fame on Wednesday at a ceremony in Tampa - He was nominated for the Hall of Fame by the City of Apalachicola in early June.

Joshua Hodson, Park Manager at the John Gorrie State Park Museum in Apalachicola accepted the induction medallion on behalf of John Gorrie; Apalachicola Mayor Van Johnson and City Administrator Betty Webb also attended the induction ceremony.  

Besides being in the inaugural class of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame, John Gorrie also has a statue in the National Statuary Hall collection located in the United States Capitol Building, and has a museum and Florida state park in Apalachicola in his honor.

The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame is located at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Its mission is to recognize and commend Florida inventors whose achievements have advanced the quality of life for Floridians, the state and the nation. 

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