The New York Edison Company posts a newspaper ad recommending people consider buying electrical gifts for Christmas. Possible uses include: “For Lighting, For Cooking, For Heating, and for Power.” O.C. White Company is listed among the 70 businesses offering these products, and it lists the 19 Park Place store front.
As the use of telegraph equipment grew for communications, Morse code operators found themselves challenged to distinguish between the messages being sent to them and those being sent to other operators in the same office. A resonator hood was created by J.H. Bunnell & Co. that could help direct the sound to the individual operator. While this helped, the hoods were still too far away from the operator’s ears. In response, O.C. White Co. patented an articulated arm that could hold the resonator hood next to the operator’s head. The design was modified several times during World War I to assist the U.S. Signal Corps, and the company was ultimately cited by the U.S. government for its part in “Helping to produce victory over the enemy.” The articulated arm became the basis of many future O.C. White Company’s products.
When neighboring company owned by H.R. Barr is sold, the O.C. White company expands into their part of the building on Hermon Street.
During the first World War, O.C. White Jr. joins the Red Cross, war relief service as Lieutenant, Supply Co., 19th Regiment, Massachusetts State Guard.