Western Electric and the Bell System - A SURVEY OF SERVICE

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TOUCH-TONE ® service result from it. The habit of teamwork accounts for the speedwith which telephone service is restored in the wake of hurricane or flood. But, far andaway, the most important if least spectacular evidences of teamwork can be found inthe day-to-day operation of the business. It is the reliability of Bell Systemcommunications as much as their versatility and flexibility which justifies the motto usedin many Western Electric advertisements: We work best because we work together.No single organization chart covers the entire Bell System. From an organizationstandpoint, each Bell Telephone company is an independent corporate enterprise.Each has its own Board of Directors, responsible for directing each company’s affairs.AT&T’s relations with these companies come primarily from stock ownership and thevoice in the affairs of the corporation that naturally and legally is extended to everystockholding interest. There are also important contractual relations between each ofthe associated companies and the parent company, AT&T, based on the agreementswith the original local companies licensing the use of the Bell patents. 1Similarly, the manufacturing and supply organization - Western Electric - whichlikewise exists as a distinct corporate organization, has supply contracts with theassociated companies that define its obligations to them. In the same way, BellTelephone Laboratories is a distinct corporate organization. Each differs from anoperating company in that it is entirely functional rather than territorial and is not apublic utility.The Bell System is, therefore, a product of evolution as well as innovation. To seehow the structure has grown so that all units combine their efforts for the common goalof service, this survey of Western Electric and the Bell System opens with a history anddescription of AT&T. After this review of the parent company, Bell Laboratoriesfunctions are described and then those of the Bell Telephone companies.1 When many of these local companies merged into the present associated companies, the newcompanies assumed the contractual obligations of the original licensee companies, in most cases withoutappreciably changing the original agreements, in some cases with new license contracts similar in form.
Part I:Our Bell System“Partners”
Page 1 and 2: Western Electricand theBell SystemA
Page 3 and 4: TABLE OF CONTENTSI The Bell System
Page 5: The Bell SystemaConcept in ActionIT
Page 9 and 10: ecame permanent and, in addition to
Page 11 and 12: AT&T’s ROLE IN THE BELL SYSTEMThe
Page 13 and 14: department sets technical requireme
Page 15 and 16: OWNERS OF THE BELL SYSTEMSome 2,250
Page 17 and 18: Bell Telephone LaboratoriesIIIThe g
Page 19 and 20: the designs and specifications for
Page 21 and 22: The Bell Telephone CompaniesIVThe c
Page 23 and 24: operations. How these things are do
Page 25 and 26: History of Western ElectricVIn Janu
Page 27 and 28: growing desire by Americans to exhi
Page 29 and 30: "Nash Fish," for which its inventor
Page 31 and 32: Less than a year later, in October,
Page 33 and 34: In the spring of 1946, the first mu
Page 35 and 36: contributions to this team effort h
Page 37 and 38: Structure of Western ElectricVIWest
Page 39 and 40: Long-range planning, for example, b
Page 41 and 42: company locations except major Work
Page 43 and 44: defined in their delegations, and m
Page 45 and 46: Manufacturing-Area AFacilityBALTIMO
Page 47 and 48: Manufacturing-Area CFacilityALLENTO
Page 49 and 50: 3. Determine long-range space requi
Page 51 and 52: HouseInauguratedPennsylvania (forme
Page 53 and 54: The primary responsibility of an in
Page 55 and 56: circuits needed in a telephone cent
Page 57 and 58:
Purchasing and TransportationThe Vi
Page 59 and 60:
The Manager - Plant Design and Cons
Page 61 and 62:
Organizations Reporting to Assistan
Page 63 and 64:
Government Sales and Administration
Page 65 and 66:
Labor CounselThe Labor Counsel deal
Page 67 and 68:
easonableness of Western’s earnin
Page 69 and 70:
has primary responsibility for its
Page 71 and 72:
Principal Subsidiaries of Western E
Page 73 and 74:
acre site. The company also operate
Page 75 and 76:
The Manufacturers junction Railway
Page 77 and 78:
Communications Services and Product
Page 79 and 80:
these purchases represent a signifi
Page 81 and 82:
1-S Automatic Call Distributing Sys
Page 83 and 84:
vertical member in conjunction with
Page 85 and 86:
dialing area. The extension of dial
Page 87 and 88:
Obviously, this investment cannot s
Page 89 and 90:
"We must know our way around among
Page 91 and 92:
(e) 'Vestrex" shall mean Westrex Co
Page 93 and 94:
ecording studios or outside the Uni
Page 95 and 96:
non-discriminatory as between licen
Page 97 and 98:
to furnish, the same, of manufactur
Page 99 and 100:
(a) requiring sales, at non-discrim
Page 101:
APPENDIX A.• Bell Telephone Compa
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Western Electric and the Bell System - A SURVEY OF SERVICE

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