| (1927
- 1992) |
| Inducted: |
1992 |
| Region: |
MidWest |
| Industry: |
Communications
|
|
William McGowan, a self-employed consultant, helped rescue Microwave Communications, Inc. (MCI) a company that planned to offer radiotelephone service to trucks traveling between Chicago and St. Louis. He believed that a lean competitor with lower overhead could under-price AT&T and destroy its monopoly. McGowan paid off MCI’s debt himself and spent the next two decades chipping away at AT&T. When McGowan retired as chief executive in December 1991, MCI had an estimated 15 percent of the U.S. long-distance market. |
