Alexander Graham Bell

His Life...1881-1922

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Bell and his family moved to Washington D.C. in 1880. He was awarded the Volta Prize and used the money to set up the Volta Laboratory. His hope was to set up an "Inventor's Lab" similar to the one Thomas Edison had established.

Bell also purchased a summer retreat on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia (left). He had no phone in his study as he wanted peace and quiet as he worked on his inventions.

Bell's interests were many. In July of 1881, President Garfield was shot by an assassin. Hearing that doctors were having trouble locating the bullet, Bell volunteered his services (below, at Garfield's bedside) in hopes of developing an electric probe. Testing his device in the Volta Lab and at Garfield's bedside were failures and Garfield died of infection about two months later. Bell continued work on this "induction balance" device and produced a needle probe that was universally used until the x-ray became common.

But this wasn't Bell's only interest. Some of his other research included the Photo phone, a device that could transmit sound over a beam of light, a machine for artificial respiration, a hydrofoil boat, a water distillation device and man-lifting kites. He also continued his teaching of the deaf and founded the American Association to Promote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf.

He became a U.S. citizen in 1882.

Bell was named president of the National Geographic Society in 1897, started the National Geographic Magazine. He also amassed a total of twelve honorary doctorates.

Bell died of diabetes in August of 1922. Mabel passed away five months later.

Of all his life's achievements, perhaps only one ranked important enough to become the epitaph on his tombstone...

"Born in Edinburgh...died a citizen of the U.S.A."  

A.G. Bell 1847-1875            A.G. Bell 1876-1880

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