Predecessor Company Of Bell

The Bell patents Association (a name given by later historians), was technically not a legal entity but a guardianship and a partnership, and was created in 1874 to be verbally holders of patents filed by Bell and his assistant Thomas Watson .

Approximately one-third interest were first held by Gardiner Greene Hubbard, a lawyer and future brother-Bell, Thomas Sanders, the well-to-do leather merchant father of one of Bell deaf students (and who was the first to conclude an agreement with Bell), and finally by Alexander Graham Bell himself. Hubbard would then save some of its shares with two other members of the family. An approximate 10% of the association patent was later assigned by its leaders to Bell technical assistant Thomas Watson, in lieu of salary and financial support prior to Bell as they worked together to create their first phones functional.

The association agreement verbal patents was formalized in a Memorandum of February 27,1875.of the assets of the Association of patents would later become the core assets of the Bell Telephone Company.