Trane co-founder to join Inventors Hall of Fame
10th February 2026
USA: Reuben Trane, the engineering pioneer and co-founder of Trane Technologies, is to be inducted into the US National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) as a member of the 2026 class.
Reuben Trane co-founded The Trane Company in 1913 with his father, James, and sister, Stella in La Crosse, Wisconsin. A mechanical engineer and prolific inventor, he is widely credited with advancing the HVAC industry through innovations such as the 1926 convector radiator, the coil which revolutionised building heating.
He was president of Trane from 1916 until 1951, and chairman until his death in 1954 at the age of 67. He was awarded a lifetime membership of ASHRAE in 1951 and was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame in 1997.
Founded in 1973, The National Inventors Hall of Fame is an American not-for-profit organisation that recognises individual engineers and inventors who hold a US patent of significant technology.
“Reuben Trane was ahead of his time-a visionary whose innovations have improved the comfort, health, and productivity of millions,” said Mauro Atalla, Trane Technologies’ senior vice president and chief technology and sustainability officer.
Reuben Trane will be formally inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame on May 7. His great‑great‑grandson, Reuben Trane IV, a current Trane Technologies HVAC systems development engineer, will accept the honour on his behalf.
