Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922). 1898 illustration of the Scottish-US inventor Alexander Graham Bell. Bell is best known for his pioneering work in the development of the telephone. He followed his father and grandfather into the speech therapy profession, but also studied sound waves and the mechanics of speech. By 1871, he had moved to the USA, becoming professor of Vocal Physiology at Boston. He performed experiments in converting sound waves into electrical impulses for transmission down wires (telephony). While not the true inventor of the telephone, Bell's work helped develop and make telephones into practical working devices. He patented his telephone (1876) and founded the Bell Telephone Company.