Alfred Vail

Alfred Lewis Vail (September 25, 1807 – January 18, 1859) was an American machinist and inventor. Along with Samuel Morse, Vail was central in developing and commercializing American electrical telegraphy between 1837 and 1844. ("Samuel F.) B. Morse is known as the father of the American commercial telegraph, but he would not have succeeded without Alfred Vail as his partner. History glorifies Morse but credits little, or nothing, to Alfred. The reasons are complicated, unfair and more than a little nowrap|sad." — Morristown N.J. parks Their other son George Vail, Alfred's brother, was a noted politician.

Alfred attended public schools before taking a job as a machinist at the iron works. He enrolled in New York University to study theology in 1832, where he was an active and successful student and a member of the Eucleian Society, graduating in 1836. and improved recording registers and relay magnets. Vail left the telegraph industry in 1848 because he believed that the managers of Morse's lines did not fully value his contributions.

His last assignment, superintendent of the Washington and New Orleans Telegraph Company, paid him only $900 a year ($ in US dollars), leading Vail to write to Morse,

Retirement When Morse took on an influential congressman as a partner, (The congressman brought into Morse's company, gratis, as a partner was Francis Smith, the representative from Maine.) ("My attention has been called to a communication in The New York Times of June 7 headed Vail, father of the telegraph, and signed Stephen Vail.) While I have no desire to enter into a newspaper controversy with Mr. Vail, and while I am sure that you have no desire to encourage one, I trust in justice to my father, Samuel F.B. Morse, you will allow me a few words in nowrap|reply." — E.L. Morse (June 21, 1904) N.Y.Times ("Alfred Vail ...) invented the new 'recording receiver', the 'sounding key', and the 'dot-and-dash' alphabet ... but doing his duty in strict accordance with his understanding of the terms of his contract, and that to Morse belonged all that he had nowrap|accomplished." — S. Vail (June 25, 1904) N.Y.Times

In an 1845 book Vail wrote describing Morse's telegraph, he also attributed the code to Morse. He died in 1859 at the age of 51.

Recognition A U.S. Army base was named in Vail's honor: Camp Vail in Eatontown, New Jersey, later temporarily renamed Fort Monmouth, was an Army housing complex.

After World War II the families of servicemen and civilian Army employees negotiated with the Army to purchase the development, which they incorporated as the "Alfred Vail Mutual Association". Due to the diligent efforts of the town clerk, the rights of the charter of the original Shrewsbury Township (est. 1693) were transferred to the residents. The housing development exists under that name to this day.

An elementary school in Morristown, New Jersey, near the site of the Speedwell Iron Works, is named Alfred Vail Elementary School in his honor.

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