WILLIAM McGOWAN GONE TWENTY YEARS TODAY

THE STAR OF

"LONG DISTANCE WARRIOR"

BILL McGOWAN

December 10, 1927-June 8, 1992

WILLIAM G. McGOWAN

AT HIS DESK AT MCI

Washington, D.C.

Bill McGowan took on AT&T and helped change the face of telephony in the U.S. For a preview of the film that tells the story, LONG DISTANCE WARRIOR, see here. For a history and digital archive of McGowan and MCI when it was in his charge, see here. For more photographs and more of the context and significance, with links to other websites, see here and here.

WILLIAM McGOWAN b. December 10, 1927

WILLIAM G. McGOWAN

December 10, 1927-June 8, 1992

WILLIAM McGOWAN

on the roof of the then MCI Building

Washington, D.C.

Two items in the news this year have particularly brought the late MCI Chair William McGowan back to public attention. One was AT&T's attempt to purchase T-Mobile, and the other was the broadcast of the film about McGowan, LONG DISTANCE WARRIOR. MCI took on the telephone monopoly -- successfully -- and McGowan was called the "man who beat AT&T" (see here). LONG DISTANCE WARRIOR curiously bills its subject "the most famous business leader you’ve never heard of" -- curiously for those of us who remember when McGowan was a real mover and shaker in Washington and in the communications industry. It is good to see him back in the spotlight, as here.

The photograph above is featured in the film.

Much more about Bill McGowan and the upstart MCI can be found here.