As we prepare to implement a new unified communication system, those of us who work in Information Technology Systems have had a great time looking back at the history of communication systems at Davidson. “Around the D” offered us a chance to share some interesting artifacts, beginning with this short article from an 1898 edition of Davidson College Magazine:
Davidson College Magazine March 1898
Will wonders never cease? The latest is to know that Davidson is actually to be in hearing distance of all the large towns of the State and others. The Long Distance Telephone Company is now putting up wires from Charlotte to Statesville, and of course Davidson will be allowed a voice.
By 1938, The Davidsonian was reporting some startling innovations:
“Dials Replace Older System; Time Saving Device Replaces Old Operators
Here’s part of a January, 1957 memo from D. Grier Martin to Davidson College President J.R. Cunningham:
Subject: Visit with Telephone Officials
“…when this cable is installed underground they could put sufficient wires in the cable so that they could add the service at Davidson for about one-third the additional cost they had estimated for us before. This would …probably not be over $1.50 to $1.75 per month for business phones…”
And one between Dr. Martin and R.A. Currie in December, 1966:
Subject: SWITCHBOARD STUDY
“We all agree it would be a big morale boost for each faculty member to have a telephone…”
Here’s Dr. Spencer conducting college business on his state-of-the-art rotary dial telephone, probably in the early 1970s:
And hard working student government volunteers, conducting a mid-1980s phone-a-thon in a tangle of phone cords:
As you can see, communication has come a long way at Davidson. We are excited to report that our new unified communication system, designed to carry clear and high-speed voice, data and video, is preparing us to take advantage of incredible new opportunities for teaching and learning. For more information about communication systems at Davidson – past, present or future – see the entire Information Technology Systems 2012 Annual Report: http://sites.davidson.edu/its
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