Theodore Newton Vail
Theodore Newton Vail | |
|---|---|
Vail in 1913 | |
| 4th President of American Telephone & Telegraph | |
| In office 1907–1919 | |
| Preceded by | Frederick Perry Fish |
| Succeeded by | Harry Bates Thayer |
| 1st President of American Telephone & Telegraph | |
| In office 1885–1887 | |
| Preceded by | Inaugural holder |
| Succeeded by | John Elbridge Hudson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 16, 1845 Malvern, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | April 16, 1920 (aged 74) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Emma Righter
(m. 1869; died 1905) |
Theodore Newton Vail (July 16, 1845 – April 16, 1920) was an American businessman who served as the general manager of the Bell Telephone Company from 1878 to 1887 and became the founding president of American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) in 1885. Vail viewed telephone service as a public utility and moved to consolidate telephone networks under the Bell system. In 1913, he oversaw the Kingsbury Commitment that led to a more open system for connection.