Harry Bates Thayer
Encyclopedia
Harry Bates Thayer U.S. was an electrical and telephone
businessman. He designed an electrical punched card
machine in 1887 at Dartmouth College
.
He was educated at Northfield High School in Northfield, Vermont
. He then attended Norwich University
(the Military College of Vermont) for 2 years before attending Dartmouth College
. His career started in 1879 as a shipping clerk at Western Electric Company. He was the International department manager in 1897. During that time he traveled to Japan
and participated in the formation of NEC
. He soon became the general manager in New York
and later vice-president. In 1908 he became president of Western Electric Company and vice-president at AT&T
, American Telephone & Telegraph. He left Western Electric Company in June 1919 when he became president of AT&T and later in 1925 chairman at AT&T. A close friend of Thayer's, Theodore Vail took over the role as president at AT&T. Thayer stayed as chairman at AT&T until he resigned in 1928.
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
businessman. He designed an electrical punched card
Punched card
A punched card, punch card, IBM card, or Hollerith card is a piece of stiff paper that contains digital information represented by the presence or absence of holes in predefined positions...
machine in 1887 at Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
.
He was educated at Northfield High School in Northfield, Vermont
Northfield, Vermont
Northfield is a town in Washington County, Vermont, United States. It lies in a valley within the Green Mountains, and has been the home of Norwich University since 1866. The town contains the village of Northfield, where over half of its population lives. The population was 6,207 at the 2010...
. He then attended Norwich University
Norwich University
Norwich University is a private university located in Northfield, Vermont . The university was founded in 1819 at Norwich, Vermont, as the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy. It is the oldest of six Senior Military Colleges, and is recognized by the United States Department of...
(the Military College of Vermont) for 2 years before attending Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
. His career started in 1879 as a shipping clerk at Western Electric Company. He was the International department manager in 1897. During that time he traveled to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and participated in the formation of NEC
NEC
, a Japanese multinational IT company, has its headquarters in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. NEC, part of the Sumitomo Group, provides information technology and network solutions to business enterprises, communications services providers and government....
. He soon became the general manager in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and later vice-president. In 1908 he became president of Western Electric Company and vice-president at AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
, American Telephone & Telegraph. He left Western Electric Company in June 1919 when he became president of AT&T and later in 1925 chairman at AT&T. A close friend of Thayer's, Theodore Vail took over the role as president at AT&T. Thayer stayed as chairman at AT&T until he resigned in 1928.
See also
- Walter Tenney CarletonWalter Tenney CarletonWalter Tenney Carleton was an early international businessman. He was one of the three founding directors of NEC Corporation, the first Japanese joint venture with foreign capital.- Youth and education :...