Theodore N. vail
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Theodore Newton Vail was born on July 16, 1845 in Carroll County Ohio, and was originally called “Lewis” after his grandfather. His name was changed to Theodore Newton, for his mother's brother who had died in childhood.
As a teen, Vail could not make up his mind as to what he wanted to do in life. He had thoughts of becoming a preacher, a lawyer, an explorer, a scientist, or a doctor like his uncle. When he had finished high school he went to work at a drug store as a clerk. |
A young Theodore Vail |
Vail and the Telegraph
The American Magnetic Company had a telegraph office in the drug store, which Theodore Vail found more interesting than dispensing medicines. Its scientific and mechanical aspects both appealed to him. In August, 1864 Theodore wrote to his uncle, Isaac Quinby, who was associated with the Western Union Telegraph Company. A few days later he was in New York, at work in the telegraph office at Fortieth Street and Eleventh Avenue.
In March, 1868, Vail learned of a great demand for telegraph operators on the Western railroads, especially on the Union Pacific, then not completed. Vail promptly applied and was given the "night trick" in the office at Pine Bluff, Wyoming, a work and supply station.
Vail immediately began making changes in the Pine Bluff office. Not contented with the local wire service, he had made Pine Bluff a "testing station," with two through wires "cut in" which put the office in direct touch with the affairs of the world. The trainloads of over land passengers that passed through almost daily were supplied with the latest news, taken down from the wires. Vail was made agent of the Pine Bluff station.
The American Magnetic Company had a telegraph office in the drug store, which Theodore Vail found more interesting than dispensing medicines. Its scientific and mechanical aspects both appealed to him. In August, 1864 Theodore wrote to his uncle, Isaac Quinby, who was associated with the Western Union Telegraph Company. A few days later he was in New York, at work in the telegraph office at Fortieth Street and Eleventh Avenue.
In March, 1868, Vail learned of a great demand for telegraph operators on the Western railroads, especially on the Union Pacific, then not completed. Vail promptly applied and was given the "night trick" in the office at Pine Bluff, Wyoming, a work and supply station.
Vail immediately began making changes in the Pine Bluff office. Not contented with the local wire service, he had made Pine Bluff a "testing station," with two through wires "cut in" which put the office in direct touch with the affairs of the world. The trainloads of over land passengers that passed through almost daily were supplied with the latest news, taken down from the wires. Vail was made agent of the Pine Bluff station.
Vail and the Postal Service
While working at the Pine Bluff Station, Vail had become acquainted with people in the mail service and became intrigued.
He again wrote to his uncle, Isaac Quinby, who had influence in Washington, and asked for an appointment. In March, 1869 he was appointed as a mail clerk on the Union Pacific Railroad. His run was from Omaha to Wasatch.
As a Route Agent, Vail’s starting pay was $900 a year. Before long he was increased to $1000 per year and then later to $1200 a year. This was the maximum for his position.
Vail’s Contributions to the Railway Post Office
When Vail started with the Railway Postal Service on the Union Pacific, the contents of each bag of mail were emptied out and the letters for that stop were removed. The mail was then put back into the bag and loaded on to the train where the same procedure was repeated at the next stop. Vail quickly determined that there had to be a better system, so he began sorting and bundling the mail for each future stop before putting it all back into the bag. This eliminated the need to do it at every stop. He also began memorizing all of the stops on the route which enabled him to sort even faster. He introduced this method to other workers, and to help them learn the order, he made up a set of practice cards that signified each stop along the route.
While working at the Pine Bluff Station, Vail had become acquainted with people in the mail service and became intrigued.
He again wrote to his uncle, Isaac Quinby, who had influence in Washington, and asked for an appointment. In March, 1869 he was appointed as a mail clerk on the Union Pacific Railroad. His run was from Omaha to Wasatch.
As a Route Agent, Vail’s starting pay was $900 a year. Before long he was increased to $1000 per year and then later to $1200 a year. This was the maximum for his position.
Vail’s Contributions to the Railway Post Office
When Vail started with the Railway Postal Service on the Union Pacific, the contents of each bag of mail were emptied out and the letters for that stop were removed. The mail was then put back into the bag and loaded on to the train where the same procedure was repeated at the next stop. Vail quickly determined that there had to be a better system, so he began sorting and bundling the mail for each future stop before putting it all back into the bag. This eliminated the need to do it at every stop. He also began memorizing all of the stops on the route which enabled him to sort even faster. He introduced this method to other workers, and to help them learn the order, he made up a set of practice cards that signified each stop along the route.
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Most of the postal employees were appointed to their jobs by people in influential positions of the government. In other words, they got the jobs whether they were qualified or not. This “job security” led to lazy workers with no incentives to do a better job. So Vail’s sorting method was initially met with resistance.
Vail took his sorting method one step further and, in addition to picking the local mail out of the sacks as they came aboard, he also started picking out the letters for the small settlements reached by the stage coaches. He would tie the letters and papers into bundles, with a slip in each, properly marked, thus making it possible for mails to arrive a day, two days, even a week, earlier at their destinations. |
He bought himself maps and marked out on them the connecting routes, and he memorized the names of the towns on each. He then created a chart on a card—a simple scheme showing the connecting points and the names of the towns reached. He tacked it up in his car, and soon his co-workers began to take pride in working the mail with a view to sending it along in the quickest time and with the fewest mistakes. The stages at the distributing points no longer had to wait while sacks were emptied and their mixed contents were sorted by inefficient and uninformed grocery clerks and bartenders. The sacks contained only bundles, each properly tied and labeled. The stages could be off at once. Vail and his companions had planted a seed that would grow into civil service reform.
In March, 1873, Vail was assigned to duty in the office of the General Superintendent of Railway Mail Service in Washington, D.C. where exercised special oversight of distribution of the mails and justified to Congress the compensation the railways received for carrying the mail.
In June, 1874, he was appointed Assistant Superintendent of Railway Mail Service and in 1875, he became Assistant General Superintendent.
In February, 1876, Vail was appointed General Superintendent after his boss retired. He had reached the highest grade attainable in this branch of the Federal government. He was the youngest officer in the Railway Mail Service, both in years and terms of service.
As General Superintendent, Vail helped put postal employees under the general civil service laws. He established the system of six months' probationary appointments, which were subsequently adopted by all agencies.
In June, 1874, he was appointed Assistant Superintendent of Railway Mail Service and in 1875, he became Assistant General Superintendent.
In February, 1876, Vail was appointed General Superintendent after his boss retired. He had reached the highest grade attainable in this branch of the Federal government. He was the youngest officer in the Railway Mail Service, both in years and terms of service.
As General Superintendent, Vail helped put postal employees under the general civil service laws. He established the system of six months' probationary appointments, which were subsequently adopted by all agencies.
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Vail and AT&T
The American Bell Telephone Co. had been organized by Gardiner G. Hubbard, father in law of Alexander Graham Bell. As a lawyer and lobbyist, Hubbard had opposed the Post Office Department before Congress on various issues. Vail became convinced, as a result of his association with Hubbard, that the telephone would eventually revolutionize world communication, and he became a vigorous promoter of Bell stock. Hubbard was impressed with Vail and offered him the position of general manager of the American Bell Telephone Company in 1878. During this time Vail defended the Bell patents successfully from challenges from Western Union and others. Theodore Vail had the philosophy that customer service--not increasing dividends--was the most important thing to a corporation. His policy and vision was always larger than current minds. Two years later he resigned from AT&T because of escalating disagreements over service improvements versus short-term financial gain. In 1907, Vail returned to what was essentially his previous job, though now the company was known as the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, or AT&T. He retired from AT&T for the second and final time in 1919. He died a year later on April 16th. |
Vail in his later years 
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