Massachusetts has always been a place of bold thinkers, revolutionary ideas, and historic breakthroughs.

Never was this more evident than on March 10, 1876, when one of the world’s most important technological milestones took place in downtown Boston.

On this date, Alexander Graham Bell made the world’s first successful telephone call in his attic laboratory in downtown Boston. Bell’s Boston lab was located on Exeter Place, a street that does not exist anymore (but was located around the corner from where an AT&T store now stands).

Bell uttered these words to his assistant Thomas Watson: “Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you.”

Bell’s startup, Bell Telephone Company, was created a year later, and eventually became American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T).

To celebrate 150 years of connectivity, AT&T is investing in the next generation of great Massachusetts thinkers and doers.

AT&T teamed up with two organizations – the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston – to provide resources and technology to local students.

On March 10th, we hosted an event in Western Massachusetts, at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke (HBGC), where AT&T provided 150 refurbished laptops to middle school students, marking the 150th Anniversary of the First Phone Call.

Officials from AT&T and HBGC were joined by local families, elected and public safety officials at the event to distribute the devices.

Then on March 11th, AT&T and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston (BGCB) provided 150 refurbished laptops to teens from the Ready to Work Program. BGCB’s Ready to Work program supports skill building and job readiness for students pursuing career and college goals.