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From: tomm@tekecs.UUCP (Tom Milligan)
Newsgroups: net.misc,can.general
Subject: Re: Canada's Tradition as a Pioneer in Communications Technology
Message-ID: <3557@tekecs.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 1-Mar-84 11:37:19 EST
Article-I.D.: tekecs.3557
Posted: Thu Mar  1 11:37:19 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 3-Mar-84 23:55:32 EST
References: <3389@utcsrgv.UUCP> <3393@utcsrgv.UUCP>
Organization: Tektronix, Wilsonville OR
Lines: 25


An Italian professor of mine once related a story to our class
claiming that Bell actually did not invent the telephone...Instead, the
original concept was developed by an Italian by the name of Antonio
Meucci.  Meucci, the story goes, didn't have the resources to develop his
idea, so he went to a famous scientist by the name of Bell, hoping that
Bell would see merit in the idea, and would provide Meucci with the
resources to develop it.  Bell reportedly sent Meucci away, telling him that 
the idea was not a sound (pun intended) one.  Shortly thereafter Bell is
credited with having invented the telephone.

The same professor also said that Meucci's descendants recently went to
court to resolve the matter, presenting Meucci's notebooks with descriptions
of his ideas as their evidence.  The court supposedly ruled that yes,
Meucci is the originator of the idea of the telephone, but that Bell
actually gave the idea its fruition.  That is all we were told of the
courts decision.

The professor said that this is what is taught in the schools in Italy.

Can anyone confirm or deny this story?

			Tom Milligan
			decvax!tektronix!tekecs!tomm