UL was in forefront of technology when the Telegraph was the Internet of its day

[NewsCopy]

SLII was in forefront when telegraph was days’ Internet

One of the things that makes us proud of the University of Louisiana is that it has consistently been a leader in developing today’s new technology and in finding innovative ways to use the whizzbang stuff developed by others.

Since the days when the late JIM OLIVER began tinkering with a computer that took up half of the ground floor of Martin Hall, Louisiana has ranked among the nation’s leaders in computer science and in the communications and other applications that have spun from it.

There’s precedent for that. A century ago, the telegraph was the Internet of the day, and telegraphers who could decipher the dots and dashes of the telegraphic code were in high demand. That’s why the Southwest Louisiana Industrial Institute established a Department of Telegraphy 100 years ago in January 1904.

“The establishment of this department arises as a result of the opinion expressed by Thornwell Fay of the Southern Pacific road that such a department would be a valuable source of trained and efficient telegraph operators for this and connecting lines.

“Arrangements are being made whereby one of the Chief Train Dispatchers of the Southern Pacific line at this point may take charge of the new department without letting it take away any of his regular duty hours in the Dispatcher’s office.”

When the Chief Dispatcher wasn’t available, the president of the university was. It seems that EDWIN L. STEPHENS, SLII’s founding president was “himself an experienced railroad telegrapher, having devoted a number of years to that work in responsible positions on the Texas and Pacific, Iowa Central, and Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroads.”

The two-year telegraphy course included English, mathematics, and “railroad bookkeeping” in addition to practicing on the telegraph key.

The source of the story

Jim Bradshaw

From his Martin Hall offices, the president of our local college announced the exciting news: a new, high technology program would soon be offered in the telecommunications field, to supply trained people for the principal industry of the area. Sound familiar? The president was Dr. Edwin L. Stephens, the year was 1903, and the high-tech program was telegraphy - a skill in considerable demand by the railroad industry. From its earliest beginnings, SLII has not only provided a well-rounded education for Acadiana's young people, but has taken the view that its teaching and its research programs should address the needs of the region. Indeed, SLII was founded "to meet the great and increasing demand in South Louisiana for industrial education and manual training." That role has been refined somewhat, but the idea of it continues today. The rest of the story jbradshaw@ theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

slight misinformation, but an interesting read

On Oct. 24, 1861, the first transcontinental telegraph system was established. Two days later, the Pony Express discontinued their operations. The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in America was broadcast by telegraph on May 10, 1869. It was quickly recognized that telegraph and railroads were a natural complement because they are so closely intertwined, which make the mentioning of one without the other nearly impossible. Telegraphers were the eyes and ears of the train dispatchers, which in most cases was located a great distance away. The telegrapher copied train orders and messages for the train crews and reported to the train dispatcher the passing of trains, by taping out a message, which created an audible signal, interpreted and transcribed by hand, on paper, by a telegrapher. Southwestern Louisiana Vocational School taught telegraphy inside the Southern Pacific train depot in Scott. Arthur Hebert, a longtime operator/telegrapher, was the instructor for many years. Prospective telegraphers attended a six-month training session learning the dots and dashes encrypted jargon known as the Morse code. Once they satisfactorily completed the course, Southern Pacific Railroad hired them on an "as needed basis." The rest of the story Dots and Dashes (Non-fiction)

[CajunSaint]

we don't get near the recognition we deserve for innovation in many areas, technology being one, in this state. now why would that be?

[NewsCopy]

  From his Martin Hall offices, the president of our local college announced the exciting news: a new, high technology program would soon be offered in the telecommunications field, to supply trained people for the principal industry of the area.

Sound familiar? The president was Dr. Edwin L. Stephens, the year was 1903, and the high-tech program was telegraphy - a skill in considerable demand by the railroad industry.

From its earliest beginnings, SLII has not only provided a well-rounded education for Acadiana's young people, but has taken the view that its teaching and its research programs should address the needs of the region.

The rest of the story

Jim Bradshaw