Thomas Augustus Watson (January 18, 1854 – December 13, 1934) was an assistant to

Alexander Graham Bell Alexander Graham Bell (; born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born Canadian Americans, Canadian-American inventor, scientist, and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He als ...

, notably in the invention of the

telephone A telephone, colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that enables two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most ...

in 1876.

Life and work

Born in

Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the North Shore (Massachusetts), North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem was one ...

, United States, Watson was a bookkeeper and a carpenter before he found a job more to his liking in the Charles Williams machine shop in Boston in 1872. He was then hired by Alexander Graham Bell, who was then a professor at

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...

. They were known for the invention of the

. Watson had the distinction of receiving the first ever telephone call (from Bell in the next room) and hearing his name as the first words ever spoken over the phone. "Mr. Watson – Come here – I want to see you" were Bell's words while using the new invention, according to Bell's laboratory notebook. The precise phrasing is uncertain, since Watson himself remembered it as "Mr. Watson – Come here – I want you" in a film made for Bell Labs in 1931. After the creation of the telephone itself, Watson invented many accessories for it. Most important was the ringer, which would alert someone not standing by the telephone that a call was being placed. The first version involved a hammer, which had to hit the diaphragm; this was followed by a version employing a buzzer. After more experimentation, he invented the polarized ringer, in which a small hammer positioned between two bells is electromagnetically drawn back and forth to strike them in rapid alternation; this device was manufactured for 60 years. Watson resigned from the

Bell Telephone Company The Bell Telephone Company was the initial corporate entity from which the Bell System originated to build a continental conglomerate and monopoly in telecommunication services in the United States and Canada. The company was organized in Bost ...

in 1881 at the age of 27. Using money from his royalties from his participation in the invention of the telephone, Watson first tried his hand at farming. He tried geology as well and was even nominated for Massachusetts State Treasurer. In 1883 Watson founded the Fore River Ship and Engine Building Company. He soon began taking bids for building naval destroyers and by 1901 the Fore River Ship and Engine Company was one of the largest shipyards in America. It would later become one of the major shipyards during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, after being purchased by Bethlehem Steel Corporation. When Watson sold his share in the shipyard, he decided to "turn boy again" and became an actor. On January 25, 1915, Watson was at 333 Grant Avenue in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

to receive the first transcontinental telephone call, placed by Bell from the Telephone Building at 15 Dey Street in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

and the mayors of both cities were also involved in the call. Thomas Watson was married to Elizabeth Watson. After he died in 1934, she continued to live in

Pass-a-Grille Pass-a-Grille is a small beach neighborhood and former town at the south end of St. Pete Beach, FL, St. Pete Beach in Pinellas County, Florida. The community includes the Pass-a-Grille Historic District, Gulf Beaches Historical Museum, and Pass- ...

during World War II and died in the hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida in 1949. Watson wrote an autobiography, ''Exploring Life: The Autobiography of Thomas A. Watson'' (New York: Appleton, 1926). He was portrayed by

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor whose career spanned five decades on Broadway theatre, Broadway and in Hollywood. On screen and stage, he often portrayed characters who embodied an everyman image. Bo ...

in the film '' The Story of Alexander Graham Bell'', which was released in 1939. Late in his life, at the age of 77, upon being impressed with a meeting with Indian spiritual leader

Meher Baba Meher Baba (born Merwan Sheriar Irani; 25 February 1894 – 31 January 1969) was an Indian spirituality, spiritual master who said he was the Avatar, or God in human form, of the age. A spiritual figure of the 20th century, he had a following o ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, Watson was instrumental in helping to arrange for Meher Baba to come to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

for his first visit there in 1931. Upon meeting Baba, Watson is reported to have said, "In my seventy-eight years of life, today is the first time I have experienced what divine love is. I have come to realize this with just a touch from Meher Baba". Later, though, Watson became disenchanted with Baba. Watson died of heart disease on December 13, 1934, at his winter home on Pass-a-Grille, Florida. He is buried in the North Weymouth, Massachusetts cemetery. His family gravesite sits by the cemetery road, with a vantage point that looks directly at the former shipyard. He wanted to see his greatest accomplishment in life and death.

References

External links

NPR clip featuring Watson

* ttps://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0118.html Associated Press obituary (December 15, 1934): "T. A. Watson Dead; Made First Phone"* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Thomas A. 1854 births 1934 deaths 19th-century American inventors 20th-century American people Alexander Graham Bell American businesspeople People from Salem, Massachusetts People from Braintree, Massachusetts History of telecommunications Followers of Meher Baba