These Jobs No Longer Exist Because Of Technology And Basic Safety Concerns

Culture January 24, 2018

Switchboard Operator

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27th April 1940: Switchboard operators at work at a telephone exchange. Original Publication: Picture Post – 501 – Telephone Exchange – unpub. (Photo by Felix Man/Picture Post/Getty Images)

Felix Man / Picture Post / Getty Images

Switchboard operators were responsible for connecting long-distance calls through the use of a manual system. Eventually, a digital exchange was implemented, making the need for switchboard operators obsolete. The final switchboard operator position was terminated in August 1975 when the city of El Paso, Illinois became the last locality in the contiguous United States to convert from manual switching to a digital exchange.