New Building Proposed for Phone Lines

The University will construct a new biulding to house its expanding telephone system, Edward J. Reynolds '15, Administrative vice-President, announced yesterday.

A residential dwelling in back of Mike's Club will be torn down to make room for the new building at 1 Ridgely Court. Moving of switchboards and changing of the cable connection will be done by the New England Telephone Company.

The shift from the old location in the basement of Lehman Hall is the result of increasing demands for equipment space, Arthur D. Trottenberg '48, Manager of Operating Services, stated. Although no record is kept of incoming calls, outgoing volume has jumped about ten per cent every year.

Trottenberg emphasized that the present staff of 12 switchboard operators was adequate to handle all calls, but a number of new lines to service the University's 2297 telephones have cramped present headquarters. There are now 937 telephone lines in the system, compared with about 750 five years ago.

The size of the University's phone bill reflects this expansion. Last year the Harvard telephone systems, including those of the Business and Medical Schools, cost close to a quarter of a million dollars, representing a $75,000 increase in the last five years. The total system amassed 1,485,084 telephone message units in the academic year 1955-56.

Despite an increase in space, Trottenberg said that there would be no attempt to consolidate the systems of the College with those of the Business and Medical Schools. Tentatively scheduled for completion in a year and a half, the building will house only Lehman Hall equipment.