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George Willard Coy

1836-11-13 – 1915-01-00

Portrait of George Willard Coy
Identifier: belltelephonemag26amerrich (find matches) Title: Bell telephone magazine Year: 1922 (1920s) Authors: American Telephone and Telegraph Company American Telephone and Telegraph Company. Information Dept Subjects: Telephone Publisher: (New York, American Telephone and Telegraph Co., etc.) Contributing Library: Prelinger Library Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive View Book Page: Book Viewer About This Book: Catalog Entry View All Images: All Images From Book Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book. Text Appearing Before Image: thehistorical project of the SouthwesternBell Telephone Company, launchedin 1932 by its then President A. B.Elias, one-time dynamic leader of theTelephone Pioneers, has also been astimulus. Getting the Go-ahead But for the Southern New Englandthe incentive moment, in so far ascasting its history into a single au-thoritative volume is concerned, camein 1941 when the Telephone Pioneersat their General Assembly in Chi-cago officially recommended that allBell affiliates prepare individual com-pany histories. With this recommendation beforethem, the Pioneers of Tyler Chapterimmediately formed a historical com-mittee and commenced work in ear-nest. The company guaranteed allnecesary expenses, but the method ofprocedure was left entirely to thePioneers. The committee, represented by twoof its members—ex-President HarryC. Knight and ex-Treasurer Ellis B.Baker, Jr.—drew up an outline ofthe scope of the work, and the Gen-eral Information Department assisted J8 Bell Telephone Magazine SPRING Text Appearing After Image: George Willard Coy A professional soldier, he came out of the Civil War with a disabled left arm, learned telegraphy, and later invented the first commercial telephone switchboard by sending various questionnaires toolder pioneers. Returns, because ofwartime conditions, came in slowly;but by 1943 so much material hadbeen collected that the committee feltit was ready to engage a professionalhistorical writer to put the work infinal textual form. Through contact with Yale Uni-versity, one was found; and, in col-laboration with the committee, hecommenced writing early in 1944—proceeding, however, as he preferred,only on a part-time basis. Since thenthe work has progressed steadily, andas in its preparation almost everyproblem of telephone history has beenmet if not solved, it may be of somevalue to other companies contemplat-ing histories to give an account of thesteps in its composition. Walter LewisHe was first President of the District Tele-phone Company of New Haven—the firstcomp Note About Images Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work.Credit: Internet Archive Book Images

Life & Legacy

George Willard Coy (November 13, 1836 – January 15 or 23, 1915) was an American mechanic, inventor and entrepreneur. He ran the first commercial telephone exchange in 1878 and was involved in the production of the first telephone directory.

Occupation & Career

inventor, mechanic, entrepreneur

Sources & Provenance

  1. Wikidata population candidate Q1508597 — wikidata View source

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