I graduated from St. Petersburg High School in 1968, it was built in 1923 and the building never had air conditioning. We never thought about why our school didn't have a/c. In fact my elementary school and my junior high didn't have air conditioning either.
When I flew out of Tampa Int'l in 1970 on my way to Korea the waiting room was park benches outside with a chain link fence separating passengers from the ramp. When it came time to board they opened a gate and we walked onto the ramp and up portable stairs.
We didn't have air conditioning in my home until I was in the 9th grade when my dad had a window unit installed in the living room. We did have a whole house fan in the hallway ceiling that kept it fairly cool at night.
Yesterday I was in a doctors office and the receptionist said her electric had been out all night and she had very little sleep. She said she had been up all night running out to her car so she could run her car air conditioner.
It's all what you're use to. Before moving here a year ago I lived the last 22 years in Baltimore and I found it much hotter there, especially in July and August.
