Biography of 	Dean, Richard Lincoln Co., TN., then Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by 	Mike Miller September 2000

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Richard Dean, Louisiana Plant Superintendent, is with the Cumberland Telephone and 
Telegraph Company (a part of the Bell System)--his offices arc located at 820 Poydras 
Street, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Entering the Telephone Company's service thirty years ago, his varied experience has 
made him familiar with the development of the business covering this long term of years 
and he must know much about the technical as well as the business manage-merit of this 
very important business.

Mr. Dean was born at Fayetteville, Lincoln County, Tennessee, on June 30. 1877--the son 
of Mannon M. and Ida F. (Neeld) Dean.  His mother resides with him in this city.

Mr. Dean secured his early education at Fayetteville and was first employed by his uncle 
in the local Electric Light and Power Company, but, when the Telephone Company extended 
its "Long Distance" toll lines into his home town, he found employment in this, then a 
new business, as night operator and repairman, and has been with this one company since 
February, 1895; was actively engaged as a pioneer in building "Long Distance" toll lines 
connecting important centers and building local telephone exchanges in Tennessee, Kentucky, 
Mississippi and Louisiana.  Leaving Fayetteville in 1896 ~ transferred to Nashville, 
Tennessee, moving to West Tennessee as construction foreman in 1897; then to north 
Mississippi in 1899; was transferred to Louisiana in 1900; located as district manager at 
Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1903-1904; transferred to Louisville, Kentucky, 1904-1908, as 
general foreman, coming back to Louisiana and located in New Orleans about August, 1908, 
as general foreman; appointed superintendent of plant May, 1912, for the Fourth Division, 
territory covering the State of Louisiana and lower half of Mississippi; appointed Division 
Plant Superintendent in 1914, territory covering the whole states of both Louisiana and 
Mississippi; appointed Louisiana plant superintendent January, 1923, and in this position 
we find him at the present time--May, 1925.

Mr. Dean is a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America and President of Gulf Chapter 
No. 24, a branch of the Telephone Pioneers, which was organized in New Orleans in May, 1923.

A member of the New Orleans Association of Commerce, delegate to Members Council, chairman 
of the Good Roads Bureau, member of the Board of Directors, member of Louisiana Lodge No. 
102, Free and Accepted Masons, Babylon Chapter No. 66., Royal Arch Masons, Ivanhoe 
Commandery No. 19, Knights Templar, member of the First Christian Church, Seventh and 
Camp Streets, and chairman of Board of Trustees.

For a number of years he has taken an active part in the civic life of New Orleans.

His particular hobby is to help the new employes of his company to understand the ideals 
and traditions of the telephone business, the spirit of the service and the importance of 
thrift in every day life, by his personal influence and in his relations with the employes 
of the company with which he has been so long connected.

NOTE:  The referenced source contains a black and white photograph of the subject with 
his/her autograph.

A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 29-30, by Henry E. Chambers.  
Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.