Abbott William Rufus (1 results)

This famed Chicago utility company executive began with the Chicago Telephone Company around the turn of the century, and by 1922 when this had morphed into Illinois Bell Telephone Company he served as its president until 1930 and then as chairman of the Board (1930-34); in 1930 he became president of Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. TLS, 1p, 8" X 11", Chicago, IL, 26 September 1929. Addressed to Waldemar Kaempffert, Director of the Rosenwald Industrial Museum in Chicago. Very good. Lightly age toned and mildly edgeworn, with original folds visible and slight mounting trace (not affecting text) at upper left. On "Illinois Bell Telephone Company" letterhead listing him as president, Abbott writes to the just-named first director of this museum founded and funded by Sears, Roebuck Company president and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald, which the following year would be renamed the Museum of Science and Industry and would have a new director. Abbott goes into great detail about "the New York Telephone rate case" of 1921 which involved "the estimated savings effected in New York City by the use of the Pupin loading coil" and other technicalities; he closes by offering Kaempffert "The following pamphlets, giving information as to Bell System activities." and spells out their titles. Boldly signed "W.R. Abbott" in black ink at lower right. Whether this business somehow involved the museum is unclear though likely -- and fascinating in any case.