1950: Mayo Clinic Experiences Huge Telephone Traffic #throwbackthursdays

By Kelley Luedke • August 27, 2015

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In 1950, the Mayo Clinic switchboards were experiencing 6,500,000 calls annually. For an average work day, this resulted in approximately 21,000 calls; about 7,500 outgoing, 6,000 in-coming, and 7,500 inter-Clinic calls.

During this time, the Mayo Clinic telephone system had about 1,100 telephones and 700 loudspeakers, which is equivalent to that of a city with a population of more than 6,000.

The heart of the telephone system was a five-position board (capable of expansion), with 10 strictly incoming and several two-way lines. There were 10 direct lines to Saint Marys, three each to the Worrall, Kahler, and Colonial Hospitals.

Kelley Luedke

Kelley Luedke is a Marketing Channel Manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories. She is the principle editor and writer of Insights and leads social media and direct marketing strategy. Kelley has worked at Mayo Clinic since 2013. Outside of work, you can find Kelley running, traveling, playing with her kitty, and exploring new foods.