When I started at AT&T the Western Electric name was still on the building.
Before “The Split” on 1/1/84, there was what was called the “paper split.” The dept. I worked in, Special Services, included TTY/Data and I followed the machines. From June ‘83 until divestiture, every piece of paper that I handled (except my paycheck) had the heading of ABI (American Bell Inc.) It’s as if we were sub-contracted out to ABI yet were still employed by NYTel.
After a law suit, ABI became known as ATTIS and IIRC, Bell Labs, WECo and TTY Corp. were spun off into Lucent a bit later.
Having Bell Labs was the main reason I chose to follow the machines to AT&T rather than stay with the wires in NYTel. Bell Labs was VERY well respected in my dept.
Big mistake....HUGE mistake.
Once ATTIS was separated from Bell Labs and having to deal with the atrocious management there, I knew the handwriting was on the wall and a few years later, I walked. Got back in to NYTel (NYNEX) and finished as a cable splicer when more idiot management decided that the reason *that* company was doing poorly was all the 50 yr olds...so they made us an offer I couldn’t refuse. By the time they got around to making good on that offer, NYNEX had been taken over by Bell Atlantic, the old (NYNEX) management were gone and the new management there realized they couldn’t survive with all the knowledge and experience they would lose so they REALLY sweetened the deal if we would hang around for two more years. Sadly, by that time I was too involved with the care of my folks so I couldn’t take advantage of the new offer and I left in 1999.