Before We Were Wireless . . .

   Up until the late 1950's, individual phone phone lines were costly and uncommon among students.  Consequently, most of the resident Brothers shared a single phone located on the first floor.
   This phone was housed in one of the small booths/closets in the foyer (the other one housed mailboxes for each Brother).  
   Incoming calls were expected to be answered promptly by any nearby Brother within 3 rings and a message taken or the called Brother paged.  During study hours, a pledge was assigned Phone Duty and was stationed at the nearby dining room table. 
   Local Champaign phone numbers were dialed using just 4 digits. (Calls to anywhere else involved an operator and toll or long distance charges.) The House number was 8695.