>> Ammonia-water absorption refrigeration has been around for a long
>> time.
>> Used during America's Civil War.
>
> Dometic website claims two grad students invented the technology
> in 1922 and that was the origin of Dometic:
> http://dometic.com/templates/Page.aspx?id=5326

nah, fridges/ice making/a/c was invented by some guy who thought it
would cure malaria ... down in florida. some german customer/patient
of his thought the system was a great idea and took it back to germany
where they could then brew beer all summer long (previously had been
outlawed, for health reasons. Oktoberfest was the opening of the first
legally brewed beer every year, reason for great celebration for a
bunch of thirsty german farmers. ;)

or something similar in Tales Told by Mein Grossmutter. ;)

http://www.answers.com/topic/john-gorrie
http://www.phys.ufl.edu/~ihas/gorrie/fridge.htm

http://www.morriseys.com/gabs/chazznewz3.html
(way down at bottom)
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/refrigerator.htm

unca joel
(who learned all this on Connections, a great show on the tele)