About Automatic Electric

Automatic Electric was founded as Strowger Automatic Telephone Exchange Co. by Kansas City resident Almon Strowger, who invented the first automatic (dial) telephone switch in 1889. For decades AE was a leading supplier of telephone equipment to independent (non-Bell) telephone companies across the U.S. The company also at various times supplied switching and other equipment to the Bell System.

More

• get Automatic Electric number cards
• AE history in the Encyclopedia of Chicago
• AE page at Telephone Tribute
• History of an AE plant at the PEI site
• Almon Strowger page on Wikipedia