Words of wisdom and quotes from... Alexander Graham Bell Alexander Graham Bell (March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone. As a child, young Alexander displayed a natural curiosity about his world, resulting in gathering botanical specimens as well as experimenting even at an early age. His best friend was Ben Herdman, a neighbour whose family operated a flour mill, the scene of many forays. Young Alexander asked what needed to be done at the mill. He was told wheat had to be dehusked through a laborious process and at the age of 12, Bell built a homemade device that combined rotating paddles with sets of nail brushes, creating a simple dehusking machine that was put into operation and used steadily for a number of years. In return, John Herdman gave both boys the run of a small workshop in which to "invent".

 

	"When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us."
	Alexander Graham Bell

	"What this power is I cannot say; all I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when a man is in that state of mind in which he knows exactly what he wants and is fully determined not to quit until he finds it."
	Alexander Graham Bell

	"Before anything else, preparation is the key to success."
	Alexander Graham Bell

	"A man, as a general rule, owes very little to what he is born with - a man is what he makes of himself."
	Alexander Graham Bell

 

	"Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing that we see too late the one that is open."
	Alexander Graham Bell

 

	"Great discoveries and improvements invariably involve the cooperation of many minds. I may be given credit for having blazed the trail, but when I look at the subsequent developments I feel the credit is due to others rather than to myself."
	Alexander Graham Bell

 

	"Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus."
	Alexander Graham Bell

 

	"The most successful men in the end are those whose success is the result of steady accretion."
	Alexander Graham Bell