Business Innovator. Born in Wabash, Indiana, he became known as "Mr. Yellow Pages" and was the foremost telephone directory publishers in the United States, handling one out of every four telephone directories in the United States. In 1910, he began The Ohio Guide Printing Company which soon concentrated his efforts on a telephone directory operation. By the 1970s, his company was asked by the manager of a telephone company to sell advertising space in the company's directory as well as listing. In 1982, he was inducted into the Telephone Hall of Fame honor roll of the Independent Telecommunications Pioneer Association. He expanded his operations to Europe, where the product is called the Golden Pages and by the 1990s, he was responsible for more than 800 directory titles nationwide, serving more than 100 U.S. telephone companies and one million advertisers. He sold his company to Bell South for an estimated price of more than $1 billion. He died of natural causes at age 91 in Oakwood, Ohio.
Business Innovator. Born in Wabash, Indiana, he became known as "Mr. Yellow Pages" and was the foremost telephone directory publishers in the United States, handling one out of every four telephone directories in the United States. In 1910, he began The Ohio Guide Printing Company which soon concentrated his efforts on a telephone directory operation. By the 1970s, his company was asked by the manager of a telephone company to sell advertising space in the company's directory as well as listing. In 1982, he was inducted into the Telephone Hall of Fame honor roll of the Independent Telecommunications Pioneer Association. He expanded his operations to Europe, where the product is called the Golden Pages and by the 1990s, he was responsible for more than 800 directory titles nationwide, serving more than 100 U.S. telephone companies and one million advertisers. He sold his company to Bell South for an estimated price of more than $1 billion. He died of natural causes at age 91 in Oakwood, Ohio.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
Family Members
Advertisement
See more Berry memorials in:
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
