| Western Electric Co. , Inc. | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Fate | Absorption |
| Successor | AT&T Technologies |
| Founded | 1872 |
| Defunct | {{{defunct}}} |
| Location | New York, NY, USA |
| Industry | Customer Premises Equipment, Central Office Switches, Wire, and all other telecommunications related products supplied to Bell Operating Companies |
| Products | Telephones |
| Parent | AT&T |
Western Electric Company (sometimes abbreviated WE and WECo) was an American electrical engineering company, the manufacturing arm of AT&T from 1881 to 1995. AT&T Technologies Inc, was created in 1983 in preparation for the Bell System Divestiture, which became effective as of January 1, 1984. Year 1872 ( MDCCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The City of New York The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Basic principle A traditional landline telephone system also known as "plain old telephone service" (POTS, commonly handles both signaling and audio information In the field of Telecommunications, a telephone exchange or telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects telephone calls The Bell System which was named for Alexander Graham Bell, the technologist popularly credited with the invention of the Telephone, was a Trademark and Basic principle A traditional landline telephone system also known as "plain old telephone service" (POTS, commonly handles both signaling and audio information Before proposing a merge request please see Talk and see if the merger you propose has recently been made and The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Electrical engineering, sometimes referred to as electrical and electronic engineering, is a field of Engineering that deals with the study and application of Before proposing a merge request please see Talk and see if the merger you propose has recently been made and Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 It was the scene of a number of technological innovations and also some seminal developments in industrial management. It also served as the purchasing agent for the member companies of the Bell System. The Bell System which was named for Alexander Graham Bell, the technologist popularly credited with the invention of the Telephone, was a Trademark and
Contents |
History
In 1856, George Shawk purchased an electrical engineering business in Cleveland, Ohio. Year 1856 ( MDCCCLVI) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Electrical engineering, sometimes referred to as electrical and electronic engineering, is a field of Engineering that deals with the study and application of Cleveland is a City in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state In 1869, he became partners with Enos M. Year 1869 ( MDCCCLXIX) is a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Barton and, later the same year, sold his share to inventor Elisha Gray. Elisha Gray (August 2 1835 &ndash January 21 1901 was an American electrical engineer and is best known for his development of a telephone prototype in 1876 in In 1872 Barton and Gray moved the business to Clinton Street, Chicago, Illinois and incorporated it as the Western Electric Manufacturing Company. Year 1872 ( MDCCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. They manufactured a variety of electrical products including typewriters, alarms and lighting and had a close relationship with the telegraph company Western Union to whom they supplied relays and other equipment. A typewriter is a mechanical or Electromechanical device with a set of "keys" that when pressed cause characters to be printed on a medium The Western Union Company ( is a financial services and communications company based in the United States.
In 1875, Gray sold his interests to Western Union, including the caveat that he had filed against Alexander Graham Bell's patent application for the telephone. Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout A patent is a set of Exclusive rights granted by a State to an inventor or his assignee for a fixed period of time in exchange for a disclosure of an Basic principle A traditional landline telephone system also known as "plain old telephone service" (POTS, commonly handles both signaling and audio information The ensuing legal battle over patent rights, between Western Union and the Bell Telephone Company, ended in 1879 with Western Union withdrawing from the telephone market and Bell acquiring Western Electric in 1881. A patent is a set of Exclusive rights granted by a State to an inventor or his assignee for a fixed period of time in exchange for a disclosure of an Year 1879 ( MDCCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common
Western Electric Company was the first company to join in a Japanese joint venture with foreign capital. It invested in Nippon Electric Company, Ltd. in 1899. is a Japanese multinational IT company headquartered in Minato Tokyo, Japan. Year 1899 ( MDCCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Western Electric held 54% of NEC at the time. Their representative in Japan was Walter Tenney Carleton. Walter Tenney Carleton ( 24 December 1867 - 6 July 1900) was an American businessman
A few years later WECO secretly purchased controlling interest in Kellogg Switchboard & Supply company, a principal competitor, but was forced by a lawsuit to sell. Kellogg Switchboard & Supply Company was a major manufacturer of Telephone exchange equipment
Despite the existence of 1,300 independent telephone companies, the Bell System, popularly known as "Ma Bell," had a near-monopoly on long-distance service in the United States from 1881 until nearly the time of its break-up in 1984, and monopolies in local service for most American regions during that same period. An Independent telephone company in the United States was a telephone company providing local service which was not part of the Bell system group of companies "Ma The Bell System which was named for Alexander Graham Bell, the technologist popularly credited with the invention of the Telephone, was a Trademark and Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common AT&T secured all U. S. urban areas in the early 20th century. The independent companies were left to serve less-profitable outlying areas and vast stretches of rural America.
The bulk of AT&T revenue came from the Bell System — regional Bell operating companies (RBOCs), such as The New York Telephone Co., The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Co. and Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. Other divisions of AT&T and parts of the Bell System included Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc. (Bell Labs), AT&T Long Lines and Western Electric, the manufacturing arm. The New York Telephone Company (NYTel was organized in 1896, taking over the New York City operations of the American Bell Telephone Company. The Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company was the name of the Bell System 's telephone operations in California. For information on the holding company Southwestern Bell Corporation later SBC Communications Inc The Bell System which was named for Alexander Graham Bell, the technologist popularly credited with the invention of the Telephone, was a Trademark and Bell Laboratories (also known as Bell Labs and formerly known as AT&T Bell Laboratories and Bell Telephone Laboratories) is the Research organization AT&T Communications Inc is a IXC / Long distance telephone company owned by AT&T.
Development of a monopoly
All telephones in areas where AT&T subsidiaries provided local service, all components of the public switched telephone network (PSTN), and all devices connected to the network were made by Western Electric and no other devices were allowed to be connected to AT&T's network. The public switched telephone network ( PSTN) is the network of the world's public circuit-switched Telephone networks in much the same way that the To enforce their monopoly, AT&T and Bell System companies employed small armies of inspectors to check household line voltage levels to determine if non-leased phones were in use by consumers.
Western Electric-made phones were owned not by individual customers, but by local Bell System telephone companies — all of which were in turn owned by AT&T, which also owned Western Electric itself. Instead, each phone was leased from AT&T on a monthly basis by customers, who generally paid for their phone and its connection many times over in cumulative lease fees. This monopoly made millions of extra dollars for AT&T and Western Electric, which had the secondary effect of subsidizing telephone service, which kept basic local phone service very low - under $10 per month, including the leased phone. After divestiture, basic dial tone service went up in price by leaps and bounds, and the customer was now responsible for all of his wiring and telephone equipment. Many phones made by Western Electric carried the following disclaimer permanently molded into their housings: "BELL SYSTEM PROPERTY—NOT FOR SALE. " Telephones also labeled with a sticker marking the Bell Operating Company that owned the telephone. To increase revenues, the Bell System sometimes remodelled older-design returned phones with new housings, then leased them for use in new installations. The Bell System which was named for Alexander Graham Bell, the technologist popularly credited with the invention of the Telephone, was a Trademark and The longevity of Western Electric phone models and the limited number of new designs was a direct result of AT&T and Bell System control of new phone sales in a monopolistic system.
AT&T also strictly enforced policies against buying and using phones by other manufacturers. A customer who insisted on using a phone not supplied by the Bell System had to first transfer the phone to the local Bell monopoly, who leased the purchased phone back to the customer for a monthly charge plus a 're-wiring' fee. In the 1970s, after some consumers began buying phones from other manufacturers anyway, AT&T changed its policy for its Design Line telephone series by selling customers the phone's housing, retaining ownership of the mechanical components — which still required paying AT&T a monthly leasing fee. Design Line is a brand that AT&T has used on several of its telephones
Until 1983, Western Electric telephones and/or their inner mechanical components continued to be leased by subscribers and never sold, and so had to be repaired at no charge if they failed. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) This led Western Electric to pursue extreme reliability and durability in design in hopes of minimizing service calls. In particular, the work of Walter A. Shewhart, who developed new techniques for statistical quality control in the 1920s, helped lead to the legendary quality of manufacture of Western Electric telephones. Walter Andrew Shewhart (pronounced like "Shoe-heart" March 18, 1891 The 1920s is sometimes referred to as the " Jazz Age " or the " Roaring Twenties " when speaking about the United States and Canada In 1983, Western Electric telephones began being sold to the public through the newly created American Bell subsidiary of AT&T, under the American Bell brand name. Prior to Judge Greene prohibiting AT&T from using the Bell name after January 1, 1984 the plan was to market products and services under the American Bell name, accompanied by the now familiar AT&T globe logo. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar)
AT&T's only serious rival in providing phone service was General Telephone and Electronics (GTE), which operated its own manufacturing arm, Automatic Electric. GTE Corporation (formerly General Telephone & Electronics Corporation) was the largest of the "independent" US Telephone companies during Automatic Electric Company was a telephone equipment supplier for Independent telephone companies similar in many ways to the Bell System 's Western Electric
In 1905 Western Electric began construction of the Hawthorne Works on the outskirts of Chicago and which, by 1914 had absorbed all manufacturing work from Clinton Street and Western Electric's other plant in New York. Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The Hawthorne Works, in Cicero Illinois, was a large factory complex built by Western Electric starting in 1905 and operating until 1983 Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Later large factories included the Kearny Works and Columbus Works.
Technological innovations
In 1928, Western Electric issued the first American telephone with a single handset, having both the transmitter and receiver placed thereon (previous telephones had been of the "candlestick" type). Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This telephone was known as the "102" phone, and had a round base; it was succeeded in 1930 by the "202" phone, which was identical except for the shape of the base, which was oval. The Model 102 telephone was Western Electric's first widely distributed telephone set to feature the transmitter and receiver in a common handset Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Model 202 telephone(D1 mount/set was a desktop telephone produced by Western Electric from 1930 through 1936.
The next significant upgrade came in 1937 with the introduction of the "302" phone. Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Model 302 telephone subscriber set was manufactured by Western Electric from 1937; manufacture of entirely new units was ceased after the introduction of Designed by the noted industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss, this telephone included the ringer within its rectangular housing; previous models (including the candlestick) had required a separate "bell box. Henry Dreyfuss ( March 2, 1904 – October 5, 1972) was an American Industrial designer Career Dreyfuss was a native " The 302 was followed by the "500" phone; initially released in 1949 and continually updated over time, reflecting new materials and manufacturing processes, such as quieter and smoother dial gearing and a printed circuit board in the "network" (the phone's circuit module). The Western Electric Model 500 telephone was the standard desk-style Telephone set used by AT&T (the Bell System) in North America from the late Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It was discontinued in 1986, in favor of a Touch-Tone version that also electronically emulated a rotary dial, the Western Electric Model 500 Phone, which would become the most extensively-produced telephone model in the industry's history. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar)
Other innovations included the Princess telephones of the 1950s and Trimline telephones of the 1960s, and the development of touch-tone dialing as a replacement for rotary dialing. The Princess telephone was introduced by AT&T in 1959 It was a compact telephone designed for convenient use in the bedroom and contained a light-up dial for use as a night-light The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive The Western Electric Trimline telephone is a variety of Telephone set designed by Henry Dreyfuss Associates for the Bell System ( AT&T) The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 Dual-tone multi-frequency ( DTMF) signaling is used for Telephone signaling over the line in the voice-frequency band to the call switching center
In 1929, Western Electric was also a big player in early cinema sound systems. It created the Western Electric Universal Base, a device by which early silent cinema projectors could be adapted to screen sound films. It also designed a wide-audio-range horn speaker for cinemas. This was estimated to be nearly 50% efficient, thus allowing a cinema to be filled with sound from a 3-watt amplifier. This was an important breakthrough in 1929 because high-powered audio valves were not generally available back then.
In addition to being a supplier for AT&T, Western Electric also played a major role in the development and production of professional sound recording and reproducing equipment, including:
- the Vitaphone system which brought sound to the movies;
- the electrical recording technology adopted by record companies in the late 1920s;
- the Orthophonic phonograph, an acoustical phonograph with a flat frequency response tailored for reproduction of electrically recorded disks;
- the Westrex optical sound that succeeded it;
- the Westrex cutter and system for recording stereophonic sound in a single-groove gramophone record that was compatible with monophonic equipment. Sound' is Vibration transmitted through a Solid, Liquid, or Gas; particularly sound means those vibrations composed of Frequencies Vitaphone was a Sound film process used on features and nearly 2000 Short subjects produced by Warner Bros The Victor Orthophonic Victrola first demonstrated publicly in 1925 was the first consumer phonograph designed specifically to play "electrically" recorded disks. Western Electric Company (sometimes abbreviated WE and WECo) was an American Electrical engineering company the manufacturing arm Western Electric Company (sometimes abbreviated WE and WECo) was an American Electrical engineering company the manufacturing arm Stereophonic sound, commonly called stereo, is the reproduction of Sound, using two or more independent audio channels through a Symmetrical A gramophone
Management innovations
- Western Electric were pioneers of the scientific management of Frederick Winslow Taylor. Frederick Winslow Taylor ( 20 March 1856 &ndash 21 March 1915) widely known as F
- Walter A. Shewhart developed the control chart at the Hawthorne Works in 1924. Walter Andrew Shewhart (pronounced like "Shoe-heart" March 18, 1891 In Statistical process control, the control chart, also known as the ' Shewhart chart' or ' process-behaviour chart' is a tool used to determine whether a The Hawthorne Works, in Cicero Illinois, was a large factory complex built by Western Electric starting in 1905 and operating until 1983 Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
- The Hawthorne experiments in industrial productivity were conducted there from 1924 to 1936. The Hawthorne effect is a form of reactivity, and describes a temporary change to behavior or performance in response to a change in the environmental conditions with the response Productivity in Economics refers to measures of output from production processes per unit of input Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
- Western Electrics' reputation for sound management was such that in 1949 President Truman requested that Western Electric manage a major defense laboratory, Sandia National Labs. Sandia National Laboratories which is managed and operated by the Sandia Corporation (a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation) is a major United
The end of Western Electric
- See also: AT&T Technologies
As of January 1, 1984, the new AT&T Technologies, Inc. assumed the corporate charter of Western Electric, which was then split up into several divisions, each focusing on a particular type of customer (e. AT&T Technologies Inc, was created in 1983 in preparation for the Bell System Divestiture, which became effective as of January 1, 1984. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) AT&T Technologies Inc, was created in 1983 in preparation for the Bell System Divestiture, which became effective as of January 1, 1984. g. AT&T Technology Systems, AT&T Network Systems). Telephones made by Western Electric prior to the breakup continued to be manufactured and continued to be marked "Western Electric", with the Bell logo absent, or "hidden" by metal filler inside of all telephone housings and most components, including new electronic integrated circuits with the famous "WE" initials. Microchipsjpg|right|thumb|200px|Microchips ( EPROM memory with a transparent window showing the integrated circuit inside Electronic Switching Systems, outside plant materials, and other equipment produced for the consumption of the RBOCs continued to be marked "AT&T Western Electric" well into the 90s.
Cost-cutting measures resulted in the consumer telephones, including the Trimline being redesigned and "modernized" in 1985, as well as more plastic being used in place of metal on the 500 & 2500 series phones, as well as the Princess. The Western Electric Trimline telephone is a variety of Telephone set designed by Henry Dreyfuss Associates for the Bell System ( AT&T) Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) In 1986, the Indianapolis Works telephone plant closed, and US production of AT&T single line home phones ended. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) Business telephones and systems continued production in the Shreveport Works plant until 2001. Shreveport is the third-largest city and the principal city of the third largest Metropolitan area in the U Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Home telephones were redesigned and production was moved overseas to Hong Kong, Singapore, China, and Bangkok. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Singapore China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (krūŋtʰêːp máhǎːnákʰɔn) or Krung Thep ( for short is the Capital, largest Western Electric no longer marked housings of telephones with "WE", but continued to mark the modular plugs of telephone cords with "WE". Modular connector is the name given to a family of Electrical connectors examples of which are pictured
Western Electric came to a total end in 1995 when AT&T changed the name of AT&T Technologies to Lucent Technologies, in preparation for its spinoff. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Before proposing a merge request please see Talk and see if the merger you propose has recently been made and Lucent Technologies was a technology company composed of what was formerly AT&T Technologies, which included Western Electric and Bell Labs. All modular telephone plugs were now marked with "HHE" enclosed in an oval. Lucent would become independent in 1996, and sold/spun off more assets into Advanced American Telephones, Agere Systems, Avaya, and Consumer Phone Services. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) VTech Innovation LP, Doing business as Advanced American Telephones, is a Telephone manufacturing company Agere Systems Inc was an Integrated circuit components company based in Allentown Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania Avaya Inc is a privately held Telecommunications company which specializes in enterprise Telephony and Call center technology Consumer Phone Services LLC, Doing business as AT&T Consumer Lease Services, is a Miami FL -based company managed by Alcatel-Lucent, formerly Lucent itself merged with Alcatel, forming Alcatel-Lucent. Alcatel-Lucent is one of the world's biggest industry players in Telecommunications that provides hardware software and services to Service Providers Enterprises and Alcatel-Lucent is one of the world's biggest industry players in Telecommunications that provides hardware software and services to Service Providers Enterprises and Western Electric's Structured Cabling unit, once known as AT&T Network Systems or SYSTIMAX, was spun off from Avaya and is now part of CommScope. Avaya Inc is a privately held Telecommunications company which specializes in enterprise Telephony and Call center technology
The assets once part of one Western Electric Co. now are in the hands of more than five companies.
Legacy
Since the demise of Western Electric, telephones and telephone equipment have been made by numerous manufacturers. As a result of increased competition, modern telephones are now made in Asia, generally using less expensive components. Competition is a rivalry between individuals groups nations or animals for territory or resources
Some people never purchased telephones after the AT&T breakup and continue to lease their existing Western Electric models from AT&T Consumer Lease Services. Consumer Phone Services LLC, Doing business as AT&T Consumer Lease Services, is a Miami FL -based company managed by Alcatel-Lucent, formerly Such people have paid for their telephones ten or more times over, but the phones are perceived by some users to be superior to telephones commonly made today in aspects of durability and sound quality. Today many of these Western Electric telephones have become collector's items, renowned for their reliability.
Western Electric's audio equipment from the 1920s and 30s designed to be used in movie theaters is now highly prized by collectors and audiophiles due to its high quality construction and sound reproduction. This includes its massive horn speakers designed to fill a large theater with sound from a relatively low powered tube amplifier.
See also
References
- Adams, Stephen B. Before proposing a merge request please see Talk and see if the merger you propose has recently been made and Lucent Technologies was a technology company composed of what was formerly AT&T Technologies, which included Western Electric and Bell Labs. The Bell System which was named for Alexander Graham Bell, the technologist popularly credited with the invention of the Telephone, was a Trademark and The Reading Works in Berks County, Pennsylvania, was a key player in manufacturing and delivering innovative Integrated circuit and Optoelectronic , and Orville R. Butler. Manufacturing the Future: A History of Western Electric. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. ISBN 0-521-65118-2.
- Fagen, M. D. , ed. A History of Engineering and Science in the Bell System: Volume 1 The Early Years (1875-1925). New York: The [Bell Telephone] Laboratories, 1975. ISBN ?.
- Fagen, M. D. , ed. A History of Engineering and Science in the Bell System: Volume 2 National Service in War and Peace (1925-1975). New York: The [Bell Telephone] Laboratories, 1978. ISBN 0-932764-00-2.
External links
- Western Electric brand audio vacuum tubes
- Western Electric Telephone Models
- Western Electric History
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic