Strowger, an undertaker in Kansas City, faced unfair
competition. The wife of a competing undertaker was an operator at the
local (manual) telephone exchange. She re-routed calls to her husband,
even when the caller asked for Strowger.
In an effort to get rid of her, Strowger invented the first automatic,
electromechanical switchboard and, together with his cousin, produced
the first model in 1888. He was granted a patent in 1891.
Strowger joined forces with Joseph B. Harris and Moses A. Meyer to
form "Strowger Automatic Telephone Exchange" in October 1891. A year
later, the first Strowger exchange was installed with great fanfare at
La Porte, Indiana. It had less than 80 subscribers.
Strowger died in 1902 but his company still survives as AG
Communications Systems.
http://www.roserpark.net/greenwood/strowger.html
http://www.strowger.com/history.html
http://www.agcs.com
B
Barbie
Barbie was invented by Ruth Handler in 1959. It was modelled on a
minuscule German sex doll called "Lilli". Barbie was the nickname of
Ruth's daughter, Barbara. Ruth proceeded to found Mattel with her
husband, Elliott.
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