George P. Oslin
Encyclopedia
George P. Oslin was a reporter, executive at Western Union
and author on the history of telecommunication.
Oslin graduated from Mercer University
and the Graduate School of Journalism
at Columbia University
. He was a reporter for the Newark Star-Ledger
and the Newark Evening News
. As a reporter, he covered the Lindbergh kidnapping
and the Hindenburg disaster
. He was public relations director for Western Union
, where he invented the singing telegram
in 1933. At Oslin's suggestion, the first singing telegram was delivered to singer Rudy Vallee
on July 28, 1933 for his birthday. While Oslin created the singing telegram because he thought "that messages should be fun," he recalled that he "was angrily informed I was making a laughingstock of the company."
In his position at Western Union, he gathered the information that led him to write The Story of Telecommunication, (1992, reprinted 1999, ISBN 0-86554-659-2), which included the experiences of Thomas A. Edison, Ezra Cornell
and other pioneers and was based on an extensive review of company documents, period newspapers, letters and diaries. He also wrote One Man's Century: From the Deep South to the Top of the Big Apple, (ISBN 0-86554-647-9) a memoir, published in December 1998.
Western Union
The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
and author on the history of telecommunication.
Oslin graduated from Mercer University
Mercer University
Mercer University is an independent, private, coeducational university with a Baptist heritage located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Mercer is the only university of its size in the United States that offers programs in eleven diversified fields of study: liberal arts, business, education, music,...
and the Graduate School of Journalism
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is one of Columbia's graduate and professional schools. It offers three degree programs: Master of Science in journalism , Master of Arts in journalism and a Ph.D. in communications...
at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. He was a reporter for the Newark Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
and the Newark Evening News
Newark Evening News
The Newark Evening News was an American newspaper published in Newark, New Jersey. As New Jersey's largest city, Newark played a major role in New Jersey's journalistic history. At its apex, The News was widely regarded as the newspaper of record in New Jersey. It had bureaus in Montclair,...
. As a reporter, he covered the Lindbergh kidnapping
Lindbergh kidnapping
The kidnapping of Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr., was the abduction of the son of aviator Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. The toddler, 18 months old at the time, was abducted from his family home in East Amwell, New Jersey, near the town of Hopewell, New Jersey, on the evening of...
and the Hindenburg disaster
Hindenburg disaster
The Hindenburg disaster took place on Thursday, May 6, 1937, as the German passenger airship LZ 129 Hindenburg caught fire and was destroyed during its attempt to dock with its mooring mast at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station, which is located adjacent to the borough of Lakehurst, New Jersey...
. He was public relations director for Western Union
Western Union
The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
, where he invented the singing telegram
Singing telegram
A singing telegram is a message that is delivered by an artist in a musical form. Singing telegrams are historically linked to normal telegrams, but tend to be humorous. Sometimes the artist is in costume or formal clothing. Singing telegrams are often given as a gift.Western Union, the American...
in 1933. At Oslin's suggestion, the first singing telegram was delivered to singer Rudy Vallee
Rudy Vallée
Rudy Vallée was an American singer, actor, bandleader, and entertainer.-Early life:Born Hubert Prior Vallée in Island Pond, Vermont, the son of Charles Alphonse and Catherine Lynch Vallée...
on July 28, 1933 for his birthday. While Oslin created the singing telegram because he thought "that messages should be fun," he recalled that he "was angrily informed I was making a laughingstock of the company."
In his position at Western Union, he gathered the information that led him to write The Story of Telecommunication, (1992, reprinted 1999, ISBN 0-86554-659-2), which included the experiences of Thomas A. Edison, Ezra Cornell
Ezra Cornell
Ezra Cornell was an American businessman and education administrator. He was a founder of Western Union and a co-founder of Cornell University...
and other pioneers and was based on an extensive review of company documents, period newspapers, letters and diaries. He also wrote One Man's Century: From the Deep South to the Top of the Big Apple, (ISBN 0-86554-647-9) a memoir, published in December 1998.
External links
- George P. Oslin, Author of The Story of Telecommunication
- The Story of Telecommunications in Google Book Search