Company: AT&T Inc. (formerly known as Bell Telephone Company)

Founders: Alexander Graham Bell, Gardiner Greene Hubbard, and Thomas Sanders

Industry: Telecommunications and Information Technology

History:

The invention of the telephone in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell marked the beginning of one of the most widely-used communication devices of all time: the telephone. With its inception, Bell along with G. G. Hubbard and T. Sanders, formed the Bell Telephone Company in the same year. The name was later changed to National Bell Telephone Company in March 1879 and a year later, to American Bell Telephone Company.

In 1880, the company undertook the process of building a network of long-distance telephone lines. The said project was incorporated into a separate company named The American Telephone and Telegraph Company in March 1885. Initially, the network started in New York; it reached Chicago, Illinois by 1892. San Francisco was included in the National Long Distance Service in 1915. Telephone networks crossed the Atlantic via two-way radios in 1927. In 1956, telephone cables successfully bridged across the Atlantic Ocean.

American Telephone and Telegraph Company enjoyed telephone monopoly during most of the 20th century. The name was eventually changed to AT&T Corp. Aside from telephone services, the enterprise also explored the broadcasting business with its media firm, the Broadcasting Corporation of America, which will later become a part of the media network NBC.

In the 1990’s however, the AT&T experienced a series of setbacks after a string of acquisitions. Most of these acquisitions failed, in turn, compounding the company’s debts until AT&T could no longer sustain it.

In 2005, the AT&T Corp. was officially declared as defunct when SBC Communications acquired the company through a merger. Under new management, the merging companies were named AT&T, Inc. it is presently one of the leading providers of communication and information services, as well as one of the leading cellular phone carriers in the United States.

Leadership:

AT&T, Inc. Board of Directors

• Randall L. Stephenson – Chairman of the board and CEO
• Gilbert F. Amelio – Lead Director
• William F. Aldinger III – President and CEO of Capmark Financial Group
• Reuben V. Anderson – Senior Partner

Trivia: The AT&T Center in Texas is the home court of the San Antonio Spurs.