Jones received 61 patents, including 40 for refrigeration technology,[2] and also revolutionized the cinema industry by creating a superior sound system for projectors at the time.

[9][10] Jones was raised by a Catholic priest, Father Ryan, at a rectory in Cincinnati, Ohio, near Covington.

Jones' proximity to Hill and the railroad facilitated his education in electricity and steam locomotive engines.

[9] He lived there for over 20 years and would later say in a newspaper article that Hallock was a place "where a man … [was] judged more on his character and ability than on the color of his skin.

[9] In the U.S. Army, Jones took part in World War I in an all-black unit until his mechanical skills were spotted and he was promoted to sergeant working as an electrician and even teaching other soldiers.

Numero owned a company that manufactured audio equipment called Ultraphone Sound Systems Inc. and was later renamed Cinema Supplies Inc.[18] He hired Jones in 1927 as an electrical engineer to improve the audio equipment made by his firm.

[18] Around 1938, following a request by Numero, Jones began designing the Thermo Control Model A automatic truck refrigeration unit.

[18] Jones designed the portable air-cooling unit for trucks carrying perishable food to prevent spoilage.

[17][18] Portable cooling units designed by Jones were especially important during World War II, preserving blood, medicine, and food for use at army hospitals and on open battlefields.

[11][7] In an obituary in the Saturday Evening Post it was said "Most engineers start at the bottom of a project and work up, but Fred takes a flying leap to the top of the mountain and then backs down, cutting steps for himself and the rest of us as he goes.