19 Facts About Thomas Eckert

Thomas Thompson Eckert was an officer in the US Army, Chief of the War Department Telegraph Staff from 1862 to 1866, United States Assistant Secretary of War from 1866 to 1867 and an executive at Western Union.

Thomas Thompson Eckert was born April 23,1825, in St Clairsville, Ohio.

In 1847, after telegraph lines were built from New York to Washington, DC, Eckert decided to travel to New York in order to see the Morse telegraph in action and became an operator with the Morse Telegraph Company.

Thomas Eckert then returned home to Ohio and learned how to telegraph.

Thomas Eckert combined these two jobs by connecting the telegraph wire to the post office.

In 1852, Wade appointed Thomas Eckert to superintend the construction of a telegraph line between Pittsburg and Chicago on the Fort Wayne route.

The lines under Thomas Eckert's management became part of the Union Telegraph Company, and his jurisdiction was substantially enlarged.

Thomas Eckert held this position as superintendent until 1859, when he moved to Montgomery County, North Carolina, to manage a gold mine.

In 1861, Eckert returned to Ohio to bring his wife, Emma D Whitney, and his children to North Carolina.

Thomas Eckert was well respected by Secretary of War Stanton and President Lincoln for his organizational skills; they charged him with important missions that went beyond Thomas Eckert's formal duties as a telegrapher.

In 1864 Thomas Eckert was brevetted lieutenant colonel, and in 1865 he received brevets to colonel and brigadier general of volunteers.

Later, Stanton went on to appoint him Assistant Secretary of War in 1866, a position Thomas Eckert held until 1867.

Thomas Eckert resigned as Assistant Secretary of War and established himself as a major figure in the American telegraph industry.

In 1875, he became president of the Atlantic and Pacific telegraph company, and then in 1880, Thomas Eckert became president of the American Union Telegraph, Western Union's main competitor.

When Western Union and American Union Telegraph merged in 1881, Thomas Eckert was named vice president and general manager of the expanded Western Union.

Thomas Eckert, in his role as vice president, was an integral part of Western Union's management and growth.

In 1893, Thomas Eckert succeeded Dr Norvin Green to become president of Western Union.

Thomas Eckert retired from this position in 1900 to become chairman of the board of directors, a position which he held until shortly before his death on October 20,1910.

Thomas Eckert was portrayed by Damian O'Hare in the 2024 Apple TV+ miniseries series Manhunt.