Electrical Engineering Hall of Fame: Alexander Graham Bell

Abstract

Alexander Graham Bell was born 3 March 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 1914, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) selected Alexander Graham Bell as the sixth recipient of the Edison Medal. He was the first to receive the award because of his contributions to electrical communication rather than to electric power. His strategic telephone patents led to the organization of a large industrial corporation, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, which enjoyed a virtual monopoly on telephony in the United States for more than a century. The telephone evolved from a scientific curiosity when it first was invented into a vital communication system affecting business management, international relations, and the everyday lives of individuals.