The White House's First Phone

President Obama made an inaccurate quote,
Referring to President Hayes, this one to note,
The telephone is a great invention,
But no one else will give attention,
But, first in the White House; Hayes did devote.

Acts 17:30 (ESV)
“The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,”

“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”
Thomas A. Edison (1847 - 1931)

One would think the most powerful man in the world would have someone to check facts before taking a jab at one of his predecessors. This was Obama’s quote of President Rutherford B. Hayes’ view of the newly invented telephone, “It’s a great invention, but who would ever want to use one?” Obama then said, “This is why he’s not on Mount Rushmore - because he’s looking backwards. He’s not looking forwards. He’s explaining why we can’t do something, instead of why we can do something.” Historians believe the White House must have used a reference from Wikipedia, because this quote is not true. In fact, Hayes was so excited about the new invention, he entertained Thomas Edison at the white house and had the White House’s first phone installed. Guess what the phone number was! The phone number was a single digit; The number 1.

by James Apple Jr.