Storia delle telecomunicazioni -Meucci page 101

HONORING THE LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF 19TH CENTURY ITALIAN-AMERICAN INVENTOR
ANTONIO MEUCCI -- (House of Representatives - June 11, 2002)

Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 269) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives to honor the life and achievements of 19th century Italian-American

Whereas, upon immigrating to New York, Meucci continued to work with ceaseless vigor on a project he had begun in Havana, Cuba, an invention he later called the ``teletrofono'', involving electronic communications;

Whereas Meucci set up a rudimentary communications link in his Staten Island home that connected the basement with the first floor, and later, when his wife began to suffer from crippling arthritis, he created a permanent link between his lab and his wife's second floor bedroom;

Whereas, having exhausted most of his life's savings in pursuing his work, Meucci was unable to commercialize his invention, though he demonstrated his invention in 1860 and had a description of it published in New York's Italian language newspaper;

Whereas Meucci never learned English well enough to navigate the complex American business community;

Whereas Meucci was unable to raise sufficient funds to pay his way through the patent application process, and thus had to settle for a caveat, a one year renewable notice of an impending patent, which was first filed on December 28, 1871;

Whereas Meucci later learned that the Western Union affiliate laboratory reportedly lost his working models, and Meucci, who at this point was living on public assistance, was unable to renew the caveat after 1874;

Whereas in March 1876, Alexander Graham Bell, who conducted experiments in the same laboratory where Meucci's materials had been stored, was granted a patent and was thereafter credited with inventing the telephone;

Whereas on January 13, 1887, the Government of the United States moved to annul the patent issued to Bell on the grounds of fraud and misrepresentation, a case that the Supreme Court found viable and remanded for trial;

Whereas Meucci died in October 1889, the Bell patent expired in January 1893, and the case was discontinued as moot without ever reaching the underlying issue of the true inventor of the telephone entitled to the patent; and

Whereas if Meucci had been able to pay the $10 fee to maintain the caveat after 1874, no patent could have been issued to Bell: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the life and achievements of Antonio Meucci should be recognized, and his work in the invention of the telephone should be acknowledged.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Jo Ann Davis) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each will control 20 minutes.

Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 269.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Virginia?

Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the House consider House Resolution 269, important legislation introduced by my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella).

This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives in honoring the life and achievements of the 19th century Italian-American inventor, Antonio Meucci. We have all grown up believing that Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. However, history must be rewritten if justice is to be done to recognize Meucci as the true inventor of the telephone.

Bell was issued a patent for the telephone in 1887. However, 17 years earlier, in 1860, it was Meucci who successfully demonstrated his electronic communications link in his Staten Island, New York home, an invention he later called the teletrofono. Meucci was a poor man who never learned English and was unable to navigate the business world. He did not have the $10 needed to apply for a patent for his invention and was never able to get the financial backing needed to pursue a patent. Later, following a tragic accident in which Meucci was severely burned, the laboratory where he worked on his invention

supposedly lost his working models needed to get a patent. Just a few years later, Bell who worked in the same laboratory, earned the patent for the telephone.

The story of Antonio Meucci is not well known. While he has not received credit for his invention in our history books, the House of Representatives will today honor the genius of the Italian American inventor Antonio Meucci.

Mr. Speaker, Antonio Meucci was born in Florence, Italy in 1808. He was fond of chemistry and at the age of 17 conceived an improved powerful propeller to be used in fireworks, so powerful that his little rockets lost control, caused damage to properties in the vicinity. This was the beginning of a life filled with experiments and discoveries.

Meucci spent the first 27 years of his life in Florence, Italy, 15 years in Havana, Cuba, and 39 years in Clifton, New York.

While in Havana, Meucci discovered the latest discoveries in electricity, electrochemistry and electrotherapy in his laboratory which was next to his apartment. In 1865 Meucci wrote, ``At Havana, by means of some little experiments, I came to discover that with an instrument placed at the ear and with the aid of electricity and a metallic wire, the exact word could be transmitted holding the conductor in the mouth ..... ''. Meucci had discovered electrical speech transmission.

Meucci and his wife, Esther, moved to New York in 1850 where he established a very successful candle business. However, in 1854, his wife aggravated her rheumatoid arthritis to the point where she could seldom leave her bedroom in the third floor of the house.

Esther's illness stimulated the resuming of Meucci's speaking telegraph, as it allowed her to communicate with him and others from her bedroom. Meucci established a telephone link from Esther's room to the basement as well as to a larger laboratory in the yard. To call attention, a mechanical call bell was used, its wires running parallel to those of the telephone. Only one instrument was used at each end, that was alternately brought to the ear or mouth of the user. Meucci received little credit for the invention he later called the teletrofono.

This resolution recognizes his work, the importance of his efforts, and I am pleased to not only support it, but I also want to commend the gentleman for bringing it to the attention of all of the Members of this House and to the American people.

Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella), the chief sponsor of this bill.

Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time. I thank Members on both sides, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), as well as the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell) for supporting this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, it is my strong belief that Italian Americans have contributed greatly to the United States and continue to contribute proudly as well. We know Columbus discovered America. Two Italians signed the Declaration of Independence. Enrico Fermi split the atom, and Captain Don Gentile, the fighting ace, was described by General Dwight Eisenhower as a ``one-man force.'' He, like so many other Italian-Americans, did and were willing to give their life in defense of freedom and liberty and supporting these great United States.

Mr. Speaker, I wanted to spend a few minutes today to honor an Italian American and former Staten Island resident who is often overlooked, as announced already, and his name was Antonio Meucci.

The 19th century was a time of great technological innovation, as its birth heralded the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. However, unlike the century just ended and the new one we are beginning to explore, the rough-and-tumble of our young Nation had yet to develop information exchange to the extent we enjoy today.

The Founding Fathers made America a guarantor of unprecedented and, to this day, unmatched liberty. This liberty included again an unprecedented appreciation for intellectual property rights. Today with our study of historical records and ability to examine many disparate sources of information, we now know it is likely the invention of what we know today as a telephone took place in the middle of the 19th century rather than its end, and its creator is believed to be Antonio Meucci. He worked for years to develop a new system of electronic communication. However, poor and sick, he was unable to keep the patents enforced and died before the courts could decide with finality whether he or Alexander Graham Bell was the true inventor of the telephone.

It is known that Meucci demonstrated his device in 1860, that a description appeared in New York's Italian language newspaper, and that Western Union received working models from Meucci but reportedly lost them.

It is also known that Meucci, due to his limited means, settled for a caveat, a one-year renewable notice of an impending patent, first filed in 1871, but which he was unable to pursue after 1874, while Alexander Graham Bell was not granted a patent until 1876.

Finally, it is known that the Supreme Court of the United States directed the case to proceed to trial but Meucci died a short time later, rendering the case moot.

So with these facts before the House today, I ask for the passage of this resolution to honor the life and achievements long overdue of Antonio Meucci, a great Italian American and a former great Staten Islander.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell), one who represents the feisty tradition of Italians and of Italian Americans, and a great spokesman not only for Italy and Italian Americans, but a great spokesman for all of America.

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, first I want to commend my good friend, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella). How refreshing it is to talk about an Italian American out of the Hollywood spotlight and an Italian American not recognized. If only we took the time in this society to deal with all ethnics, people of all racial persuasions in fairness, and that is what this resolution is all about: Fairness, honesty, breaking the stereotypes that many of us have learned; in fact, probably, taught without our even knowing.