Willis Havilland Carrier, known to many as "The Father of the modern Air Conditioner" was born on November 26, 1875 on his families farm in a small town in Angola, New York. His father Duane was in charge of the family farm while his mother Elizabeth was in charge of fixing sewing machines, clocks and other machinery found on their farm a skill which Willis readily absorbed. His mother also taught him his love of math and problem solving before passing away while he was still young. Willis was a creative child who studied hard and kept himself busy by creating problems and solving them. Willis dreamed of bigger things that life on a small farm and decided at a young age to become an engineer. He eventually landed a state scholarship to Cornell University where he met his first wife, Edith who he would go on to marry in 1902. He graduated in 1901 with a masters degree in mechanical engineering and became an employee at the Buffalo Forge Company, with a starting salary of a modest $10.00 per week.