Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell (born Alexander Graham Bell, March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born inventor, scientist, and engineer active in Canada and the United States. He is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He also co-founded the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) in 1885. Bell's father, grandfather and brother were all engaged in speech and speech-related work, and his mother and wife were both deaf, which profoundly affected Bell's life's career. His research on hearing and speech further led him to experiment with hearing aids, culminating in him receiving the first U.S. patent for the telephone on March 7, 1876. Bell saw the invention as an intrusion into his job as a scientist and even refused to install a telephone in his study. Bell had many other inventions in his later years, including pioneering work in optical communications, hydrofoils and aviation. From 1898 to 1903, he served as the second president of the National Geographic Society and had a profound influence on the society and its magazines. He wrote for National Geographic under the pseudonym H. A. Largelamb, an anagram of his given name. In addition to his engineering work, Bell also had a keen interest in the emerging science of genetics. His work in this field has been called "the most reliable and useful human genetic research proposed in the United States in the 19th century. It is Bell's most significant contribution to basic science that is different from invention."