(WASHINGTON, DC – June 26, 2002) On June 17th, The U.S. House of Representatives agreed to a resolution crediting Antonio Meucci for his pivotal role in the invention of the telephone, an honor that was long overdue. House Resolution 269 states, “It is the sense of the House of Representatives that the life and achievements of Antonio Meucci should be recognized, and his work in the invention of the telephone should be acknowledged.”

NIAF Chairman Frank Guarini stated, “I commend the House of Representatives for this resolution that justly gives credit to Meucci for his invention of the telephone. It was truly unfortunate that Meucci was denied this credit for so many years.”

Meucci, a mechanical engineer originally from Florence, Italy, began work on the telephone while residing in Cuba. Relocating to the United States, he settled in Staten Island where his work on the teletrofono, as he referred to it, continued. However, as an immigrant with a limited command of the English language, Meucci lacked the necessary financial resources required in obtaining a definitive patent. This prevented him from securing legal protection of his invention which ultimately allowed Alexander Graham Bell to claim the invention as his own. This inaccuracy was allowed to persist until this recent House Resolution clarified the historical record.