[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 27268]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                       TRIBUTE TO ANTONIO MEUCCI

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                        HON. BILL PASCRELL, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 15, 2000

  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, Alexander Graham Bell is the man most 
commonly given full credit for the invention of the telephone. The 
courts awarded him one of the most valuable patents in American 
history, a patent that made him a millionaire and became the foundation 
for one of America's largest corporations. Certainly, the telephone has 
become a tool of modern communications so fundamental that many of 
today's business and social activities would be inconceivable in its 
absence. However, Bell's claim that he solely engineered the telephone 
was hotly disputed by a number of other inventors, one of which I wish 
to speak of here today. My motive is not to disparage or discredit the 
legend of Mr. Bell's findings, but rather to tell the story of Antonio 
Meucci, an Italian immigrant little known for his far-reaching 
contributions to our society.
  Antonio Meucci was born in San Frediano, near Florence, in April 
1808. He studied design and mechanical engineering at Florence's 
Academy of Fine Arts and then worked in the Teatro della Pergola and 
various other theaters as a stage technician until 1835. From there he 
accepted a job as a scenic designer and stage technician at the Teatro 
Tacon in Havana, Cuba.
  Fascinated by technical research of any kind, Meucci read every 
scientific missive he could acquire. He spent a great deal of his spare 
time in Havana on research and he soon gained notoriety for his 
creative and productive mind. His purported inventions included a new 
method of galvanizing metal, which was applied to military equipment 
for the Cuban government. He continued his work in the theater, but 
science had become his indomitable passion.
  One day, in his home, Meucci heard an exclamation of a friend, who 
was in another room of the house, over a piece of copper wire running 
between them. He realized immediately that he had something that was 
more important than any discovery he had ever made. With that 
realization also came the understanding that to succeed as an inventor, 
he would need an environment that truly fostered his inquisitive mind 
and vibrant spirit. He would come to America, to explore this new 
communication possibility.
  He left Cuba for New York in 1850, settling in the Clifton section of 
Staten Island, a few miles from New York City. Though poor finances and 
limited English plagued Meucci, he worked tirelessly in his endeavor to 
bring long distance communication to a practical stage.
  In 1855, when his wife became partially paralyzed, Meucci set up a 
telephone system which joined several rooms of his house with his 
workshop in another building nearby. This was the first such 
installation anywhere. In 1860, when the instrument had become 
practical, Meucci organized a demonstration to attract financial 
backing in which a singer's voice was clearly heard by spectators a 
considerable distance away. A description of the apparatus was soon 
published in one of New York's Italian newspapers and the report with a 
model of the invention were taken to Italy with the goal of arranging 
production there. Unfortunately, the promises of financial support, 
which were so forthcoming after the original demonstration, never 
materialized.
  Antonio Meucci refused to let this set back destroy his vision. 
Though the years that followed brought increasing poverty, he continued 
to produce new designs and specifications. Unable to raise the sum for 
a definitive patent, Meucci filed a caveat, or notice of intent, that 
was a preliminary description of his invention with the U.S. Patent 
Office. His teletrofono was registered on December 28, 1871 with the 
requirement that he file for converting it into a patent in 1874. Fate 
would deal Meucci a cruel blow, however, as he fell victim to a near 
fatal boat explosion. While he lay in hospital, destitute and ill, 
Meucci allowed the provisional patent to lapse.
  Two years after the expiration of Meucci's caveat, Bell took out a 
patent for his voice transmitting electrical device, which he called 
the telephone. It is possible that sometimes several inventors have the 
same idea at the same time. In this case, however, what has mattered is 
not who had the idea for the telephone first, but who first turned the 
idea into a viable commercial enterprise. As we all know, it was Bell 
who succeeded in that respect.
  For too long Antonio Meucci has been only a footnote in our history 
books. At many local libraries, a search for Meucci in the card 
catalogue yields nothing. His legacy deserves more. Remember that a 
federal court in the 1880's found that Meucci's ideas were significant 
to the invention of the telephone and the Secretary of State at the 
time issued a public statement that ``there exists sufficient proof to 
give priority to Meucci in the invention of the telephone.''
  Mr. Speaker, many people from many different nations have contributed 
to the greatness of America. Antonio Meucci was indeed one such person. 
He is an example of someone who worked for the benefit of all. It is 
fitting that his efforts are recognized here today.

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