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AT&T's New York's International Operating Center
AT&T's Fifth Floor address plate
Tom.
I have attached a few photos I took during the mid to late 1970's at the NY International Operating Center in New York where I once worked. I have some comments on my experience, just below the end of the photographs.
I also have included a scan of one of the operator postions from the 5th floor or 32 AOTA during the rip out in 1981 or early 1982. The 10th floor, where I once worked, was the last place to close in December 1983.
Click on pictures for much larger photos
I have at least two switchboard designation strips from this position. When I locate them, I will scan them, and send them on.
I also included a photo of myself taken in front of a 17C PVT LN board (RR: 669.14 Customer = NBC TV) at the AT&T N7P Private Line Office (STC). The photo was taken in late 1983 just before I was transferred to New York Telephone on 1/1/84.
Somewhere I have a publication distributed by the AT&T NY Overseas District in 1980 or 1981. It has a few interesting stories, and photos. When I locate the magazine I will scan it, and send it for posting. I also have somewhere a NYC Region publication that discusses the first deployment of the then new DACS (Digital Cross-Connect) frame at the them new Garden City, NY Pvt Line STC. Back to some less technical memories.
My Experiences
I can relate to Rick's Wehmhoefer work, he being the first, full time male operator in the Bell System (internal link). In 1973 I began what I thought would be a summer job as an International operator at the AT&T international operating center (IOC) in New York. While I was not the first "guy" to work in the NY IOC, I was among a relatively small number who was hired back then.
The job was relatively interesting at first. I was able to see what actions took place unknown, and unseen to the regular telephone caller. Personally, I could not see that type of work as being a career retaining occupation. It was more like Stalag 17.
At the time I could not understand how anyone would want to work in such a job for 30, or 40+ years, as had many women with whom I worked with had. But for many women the job provided them flexible work times, however in fact the job of operator was one of the few jobs that were opened to women up until that time. (I worked with operators who were predated the class 1 LD toll switches in the non-DDD era of the 30's, 40's, 50's & 60's.
Generally speaking, male operators were accepted by most of the female operators. Typically by female operators with twenty years + years of service. I suspect that we may have looked at as possible son/grandson-in-law materiel. Hey, that was the 1970's, and these women were not exactly burning their bras. Some would even provide motherly advice. Real nice people. A far cry from the treatment some females encountered who were hired and placed in what was traditionally male 'craft' jobs at the time. (internal link)
The best overseas cities to work with for inward operator assistance were Tokyo and Tel Aviv. Tokyo Japan was 121 Inward. Typically two rings to answer, Tokyo was among the most professional outside of the US. The other excellent city was, Tel Aviv. The worst was probably Rio De Janeiro in Brazil, which was very, very slow to answer their incoming, and when they did, would say; "Dial it yourself New York", and pull out (Hang up). Tripoli, Libya was also bad. A non-dial manual location staffed with male operators who wanted to only work with female US operators.
The funniest city was Rome, Italy with their male operators. The best to flirt with, the female operators of Budapest. Secondly, Quito Ecuador.
I only lasted in that job about twenty months. With one short return as a supervisor years later. I managed to work through two Christmas holidays, the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, government overthrows in Chile and Iran, and a health epidemic in southern Italy. Thankfully I never experienced a Mothers' Day as a traffic operator.
My 'summer' job at the phone company ended in late 2003 at one of the local, but very big, regional telephone companies, having left AT&T at the time of the split in 1984.
Ah to be young once again, even it were to be an operator!!!! Both now long gone. The few items that ex-telephone operators never forget are: Green cards for breaks and lunches, red cards to go home, yellow for a run out (Bath room call) and the ergonomic design of the cord board toll operator positions Designed for the average height of a female height, must have been about 5'.4". Was pretty tough someone who is six feet, or more, in height.
PS: Rick is correct about being an easy target when something goes wrong. There were so few guys that complaints about a male operator did not take long for the service assistants (SA) to start making the rounds, and asking questions to male operators on the floor.
William Demakakos
- Many, many more related pages! Click for a list. Information on J.R. Snyder Jr., operators, directory assistance working and history, placing toll calls and so on. Great reading.
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