Incredible 1950s ‘Prophecy’ Foretold Smartphones and Even Video Calling

When you talk about tech visionaries, names like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are bound to come up. These pioneers were born at the right place and time to put their dreams into action. Not everyone is so fortunate. Some, like Mark R. Sullivan, dreamed of a connected world but lacked the technology to implement their visions.

As reported by KQED, Sullivan was born in 1896 and grew up in the San Francisco area. At age 16, he was hired as a traffic clerk at the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company. By the 1950s, he was the acting president and director of the company. He also sat on the board of directors for the then newly founded American Trust Company.

Respected for his business acumen and expertise in telecommunications, Sullivan often spoke at conferences around the country. At one of these conferences in 1953, Sullivan pontificated about the future, predicting the smartphone, video calling, and even Google translate.

Just what forms the future telephone will take, of course, pure speculation. Here is my prophecy: In its final development, the telephone will be carried about by the individual, perhaps as we carry a watch today. It probably will require no dial or equivalent, and I think the users will be able to see each other, if they want, as they talk. Who knows but what it may actually translate from one language to another?

Mark R. Sullivan

Sullivan was quoted by the Tacoma News Tribune, which reported on the speech in an article aptly titled “There’ll Be No Escape in Future From Telephones.” At the meeting, Sullivan talked about his company’s cutting-edge telecommunications technology, including a small typewriter-sized device that automatically calculated the duration of a phone call for billing purposes. It was from these humble beginnings that Sullivan foretold the connected world we have today.