On 27 Aug 2005 at 9:30, Dr. Bob Wildblood wrote:

>  At 11  
> (1950)  I moved to Rahway, NJ where the number was RAhway 7-3979  
> until it changed when I was 14 (just starting high school in 1953) to  
> 729-3979. 

This is interesting The website I referred to in my post said that seven digit 
calling 
was first introduced in 1958 in Wichita Falls,  which is two years after 
Miller's paper 
appeared.  This makes the claim that Miller's paper was responsible for the 
change 
at least possible.  But if seven-digit calling was actually introduced in 
Rahway in 
1953, then the Miller story becomes unlikely.

Bob--I know that 14-year-olds such as you once were have other stuff on their 
minds 
besides documenting their phone numbers for posterity. But given the truism 
about 
the fallibility of retrospective memory, is there any way you could support 
your 
memory? For example,  a 1953 report card with your phone number? Or perhaps the 
local phone company could confirm that they switched in 1953?

This reminds me of an old joke about one of our less-admired politicians.

Interviewer (to the Right Honourable Joe Clark): Mr Clark, can you recall the 
best 
three years of your life?

Clark: Yes, certainly! Grade seven.


Stephen

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Stephen L. Black, Ph.D.           tel: (819) 822-9600 ext 2470
Department of Psychology       fax:(819) 822-9661
Bishop's University              e-mail:  [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Lennoxville, QC J1M 1Z7
Canada

Dept web page at http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy
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