Theodore Newton Vail
Encyclopedia
Theodore Newton Vail was a U.S. telephone industrialist. His philosophy of using closed system
s, centralized power, and as much network
control as possible, in order to maintain monopoly power, has been called Vailism. He served as the president of American Telephone & Telegraph
between 1885 and 1889, and again from 1907 to 1919 (the company was named American Telephone & Telegraph before 1894). He convinced President
Woodrow Wilson
that the telephone as a medium of communication would spread more rapidly if brought under one monopoly so as to ensure uniform provision of services throughout the country. He called this "one system, one policy, universal service". This was formalised in the form of the Kingsbury Commitment
of 1913.
, and he was educated in Morristown, New Jersey
. At first he studied medicine with his uncle. He also studied telegraphy. Success in the latter led him to go to New York, where he became manager of a local telegraphy office.
He then joined the staff of a superintendent of The United States Telegraph Co. which ultimately became Western Union
.
He went west with his father in 1866 to farm. In the fall of 1868, he was made operator and afterward agent at Pine Bluffs, Wyoming
, on the Union Pacific Railroad
. Pine Bluffs was at that time the principal supply point for wood for The Union Pacific, which had not then been completed.
In the Spring of 1869, Vail was appointed clerk of the railway mail service between Omaha
and Ogden
. His success in getting the mail through during the snow blockage of 1870, came to the attention of upper management.
He was promoted to the Chicago and Iowa City railway post office, an important distribution point at the time. When the railway post office was established on The Union Pacific, Vail was promoted to head clerk.
In March, 1873, Vail was assigned to duty in the office of the General Superintendent of Railway Mail Service, Washington, D.C. There he exercised special oversight of distribution of the mails, and justified to Congress the compensation the railways received for carrying the mail. In June, 1874, he was appointed Assistant Superintendent of Railway Mail Service. In 1875, he became Assistant General Superintendent.
In February, 1876, Vail was appointed General Superintendent after his boss retired. He had reached the highest grade attainable in this branch of the Federal government. He was the youngest officer in the Railway Mail Service, both in years and terms of service. When this final appointment was made by the Postmaster General, the latter said that his only objection to Vail was his youth.
As General Superintendent, Vail helped put postal employees under the general civil service laws. He established the system of six months' probationary appointments, which were subsequently adopted by all agencies.
, father in law of Alexander Graham Bell
. As a lawyer and lobbyist, Hubbard had opposed the Post Office Department before Congress on various issues. He was impressed with Vail and offered him the position of general manager of the American Bell Telephone Company in 1878. Vail believed in the future of the telephone though it was then considered a mere novelty by some.
Vail defended the Bell patents successfully from challenges from Western Union and others. He introduced the use of copper wire in telephone and telegraph lines.
In 1888, Vail retired, temporarily as it turned out, and devoted his time to travel and adventure in South America, and promoting the use of the telephone abroad.
In August 1869, Vail married Emma Righter, of Newark, New Jersey
. They had one son, Davis R. Vail, who died after a 10 day bout with typhoid fever
in 1906.
He first visited Vermont in 1883. This led to his eventual purchase of a 1500 acres (6.1 km²) farm in Lyndon, Vermont, "Speedwell Farms," site of conferences which culminated in the creation of American Telephone & Telegraph.
He was a member of the Union League Club of New York
and the Algonquin Club
of Boston.
. This was subsequently merged into a preparatory school, Lyndon Institute
. He acquired the scientific book collection of George Edward Dering
in 1911 and presented it to the library
of Massachusetts Institute of Technology
.
Vail co-founded Junior Achievement
in 1919.
Open system (computing)
Open systems are computer systems that provide some combination of interoperability, portability, and open software standards. The term was popularized in the early 1980s, mainly to describe systems based on Unix,...
s, centralized power, and as much network
Telecommunications network
A telecommunications network is a collection of terminals, links and nodes which connect together to enable telecommunication between users of the terminals. Networks may use circuit switching or message switching. Each terminal in the network must have a unique address so messages or connections...
control as possible, in order to maintain monopoly power, has been called Vailism. He served as the president of American Telephone & Telegraph
American Telephone & Telegraph
AT&T Corp., originally American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American telecommunications company that provides voice, video, data, and Internet telecommunications and professional services to businesses, consumers, and government agencies. AT&T is the oldest telecommunications company...
between 1885 and 1889, and again from 1907 to 1919 (the company was named American Telephone & Telegraph before 1894). He convinced President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
that the telephone as a medium of communication would spread more rapidly if brought under one monopoly so as to ensure uniform provision of services throughout the country. He called this "one system, one policy, universal service". This was formalised in the form of the Kingsbury Commitment
Kingsbury Commitment
The Kingsbury Commitment of 1913 established AT&T as a government-sanctioned monopoly, as an out-of-court settlement of the government's antitrust challenge...
of 1913.
Biography
He was born on July 16, 1845 in Malvern, OhioMalvern, Ohio
Malvern is a village in Carroll County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,218 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Canton–Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Malvern is located at , along Sandy Creek....
, and he was educated in Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
. At first he studied medicine with his uncle. He also studied telegraphy. Success in the latter led him to go to New York, where he became manager of a local telegraphy office.
He then joined the staff of a superintendent of The United States Telegraph Co. which ultimately became 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...
.
He went west with his father in 1866 to farm. In the fall of 1868, he was made operator and afterward agent at Pine Bluffs, Wyoming
Pine Bluffs, Wyoming
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,153 people, 482 households, and 332 families residing in the town. The population density was 357.4 people per square mile . There were 517 housing units at an average density of 160.3 per square mile...
, on the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
. Pine Bluffs was at that time the principal supply point for wood for The Union Pacific, which had not then been completed.
In the Spring of 1869, Vail was appointed clerk of the railway mail service between Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
and Ogden
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
. His success in getting the mail through during the snow blockage of 1870, came to the attention of upper management.
He was promoted to the Chicago and Iowa City railway post office, an important distribution point at the time. When the railway post office was established on The Union Pacific, Vail was promoted to head clerk.
In March, 1873, Vail was assigned to duty in the office of the General Superintendent of Railway Mail Service, Washington, D.C. There he exercised special oversight of distribution of the mails, and justified to Congress the compensation the railways received for carrying the mail. In June, 1874, he was appointed Assistant Superintendent of Railway Mail Service. In 1875, he became Assistant General Superintendent.
In February, 1876, Vail was appointed General Superintendent after his boss retired. He had reached the highest grade attainable in this branch of the Federal government. He was the youngest officer in the Railway Mail Service, both in years and terms of service. When this final appointment was made by the Postmaster General, the latter said that his only objection to Vail was his youth.
As General Superintendent, Vail helped put postal employees under the general civil service laws. He established the system of six months' probationary appointments, which were subsequently adopted by all agencies.
Career with telephones
The American Bell Telephone Co. had been organized by Gardiner G. HubbardGardiner Greene Hubbard
Gardiner Greene Hubbard was a U.S. lawyer, financier, and philanthropist. He was one of the founders of the Bell Telephone Company and the first president of the National Geographic Society.- Biography :...
, father in law of Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone....
. As a lawyer and lobbyist, Hubbard had opposed the Post Office Department before Congress on various issues. He was impressed with Vail and offered him the position of general manager of the American Bell Telephone Company in 1878. Vail believed in the future of the telephone though it was then considered a mere novelty by some.
Vail defended the Bell patents successfully from challenges from Western Union and others. He introduced the use of copper wire in telephone and telegraph lines.
In 1888, Vail retired, temporarily as it turned out, and devoted his time to travel and adventure in South America, and promoting the use of the telephone abroad.
Personal life
He was a first cousin to Alfred Vail instrumental in developing the first telegraph.In August 1869, Vail married Emma Righter, of Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. They had one son, Davis R. Vail, who died after a 10 day bout with typhoid fever
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
in 1906.
He first visited Vermont in 1883. This led to his eventual purchase of a 1500 acres (6.1 km²) farm in Lyndon, Vermont, "Speedwell Farms," site of conferences which culminated in the creation of American Telephone & Telegraph.
He was a member of the Union League Club of New York
Union League Club of New York
The Union League Club of New York is a private social club in New York City. Its fourth and current clubhouse, which opened on February 2, 1931, is a building designed by Benjamin Wistar Morris, III, located at 38 East 37th Street between Madison and Park Avenue in the Murray Hill section of...
and the Algonquin Club
Algonquin Club
The Algonquin Club of Boston is a private social club in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 1886 by a group including General Charles Taylor. Originally a men's business club, it is now open to men and women of all races, faiths, and nationalities....
of Boston.
Other accomplishments
Vail founded the Vermont School of Agriculture in 1910 in Lyndon, VermontLyndon, Vermont
Lyndon is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 5,448 at the 2000 census. Lyndon is the home of Lyndon State College. The town contains one incorporated village, Lyndonville and three unincorporated villages: Lyndon, Lyndon Center, and East Lyndon.Lyndon is the...
. This was subsequently merged into a preparatory school, Lyndon Institute
Lyndon Institute
Lyndon Institute is an independent high school and boarding school located in the village of Lyndon Center, in the town of Lyndon, Vermont. It provides education for grades 9 through 12 for both commuting local students and students resident on campus....
. He acquired the scientific book collection of George Edward Dering
George Edward Dering
George Edward Dering was a British inventor and eccentric.His father was Robert Dering and his mother Leititia was the daughter of Sir George Shee, 1st Baronet . He was educated at Rugby School...
in 1911 and presented it to the library
MIT Libraries
The library system of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology covers all five academic schools comprising the university...
of Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
.
Vail co-founded Junior Achievement
Junior Achievement
Junior Achievement or JA or JA Worldwide is a non-profit youth organization that was founded in 1919 by Horace A. Moses, Theodore Vail, and senator Winthrop M. Crane. JA focuses on educating kids in K-12 about the free enterprise system...
in 1919.
Further reading
- Sobel, RobertRobert SobelRobert Sobel was an American professor of history at Hofstra University, and a well-known and prolific writer of business histories.- Biography :...
, The Entrepreneurs: Explorations Within the American Business Tradition (Weybright & Talley 1974), chapter 6, Theodore Vail: The Subtle Serendipidist ISBN 0-679-40064-8.
External links
- Theodore Newton Vail's biographic sketch at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...