Emma M Nutt Day 2023: Date, History, Facts, Celebrations

Modern, sleek mobile phones are a far departure from the cumbersome phones of the past. As if that weren't terrible enough, telephone companies hired young men who lacked exceptional interpersonal skills to operate the switchboards.

Emma M. Nutt Day is observed annually on September 1. You might be asking, “Who is Emma Nutt?” As the first female telephone operator in history, she changed norms in a male-dominated field. Even at the risk of sounding ancient, some of us still remember when telephone operators were commonplace. The first thing that comes to mind when imagining a telephone operator is a woman’s pleasant, friendly intonation. Once upon a time, however, telephone operators were young males. As you can see, this situation could not persist. Emma Nutt, the world’s first female telephone operator, opened doors for future generations of women, and her story begins there.

The background of Emma M Nutt Day

Modern, sleek mobile phones are a far departure from the cumbersome phones of the past. As if that weren’t terrible enough, telephone companies hired young men who lacked exceptional interpersonal skills to operate the switchboards. Customers were never clear what to anticipate when dialling the exchange. The lads had a tendency to engage in abrasive and impatient conversation. They made quips because, you know, that’s what men do. Occasionally, they cursed at customers.

Alexander Graham Bell conceived the notion of replacing the lads with young women, who are naturally inclined to be ‘polite.’ Emma Nutt was recruited away from her position at the telegraph office by Bell. On her first day of employment, September 1, 1878, Nutt became the first telephone operator in the world. Her sister joined the same location hours later, becoming the second person to do so.

Emma Nutt was revered at her place of employment. According to reports, she remembered every New England Telephone Directory Company number. She was cultivated and patient. Her calming demeanour elevated customer service to unprecedented heights. In the 1880s, the majority of American telephone operators were women.

Despite creating history, female telephone operators encountered difficulties. Nutt worked a 54-hour week for a monthly wage of $10. Each meal break lasted an hour. To work as operators, women had to be unattached and between 17 and 26 years old. There was a series of criteria for height, weight, and arm length. Passing height requirements was a requirement. The businesses required women who could reach the peaks of switchboards. The laws also stated that women of colour were ineligible for operator positions.
In the subsequent years, discriminatory employment practises would spark surges of activism for equal rights. Women in the telephone industry were at the centre of resistance and social change.

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EMMA M NUTT DAY CELEBRATIONS

Make the day of a telephone operator

Pick up the phone and thank customer service representatives for their work, regardless of gender. Their work is frequently arduous and unappreciated.

Listen to tracks inspired by phones.

Get into the rhythm with phone-themed music. Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called To Say I Love You,” Lady Gaga’s “Telephone,” and The Cure’s “Wrong Number” are among our favourites.