Another Koten Legacy - Used Daily by Billions

At the Arthur W. Page Society, we remember Jack Koten, who passed away several months ago, as a dear friend, an inspirational leader and the first president of Page. His dedication to the profession and commitment to integrity in business are hallmarks of his career that we will remember always.

It turns out, though, that Jack may have left another mark (actually, two marks) on the world. That is not as widely known or appreciated, even though this particular legacy is right in front of almost all of us almost every day.

Those marks are the * and # symbols on the telephone keypad – at least, that’s the story Jack always told his family, as reported by his son, John, in Saturday’s Wall Street Journal.

I’m glad those symbols have survived the transition to the virtual keypad on our mobile devices, and from now on, whenever I use these keys to manage my voicemail or navigate automated customer service calls, I’ll think of my friend.