R.H. Donnelley History

In early 1886, the Chicago Directory Company, with 21-year-old Reuben Hamilton Donnelley in charge, began to publish a phone directory three times a year for the Chicago Telephone Company. That event is generally acknowledged as the birth of the classified telephone directory advertising industry – the Yellow Pages.

The business became very entrepreneurial and grew, as the company capitalized on a new technology – the telephone.

119 years later, Yellow Pages continues to be an incredibly effective and efficient advertising medium that provides unsurpassed ROI to our customers. Technology is again playing an important role, as the Internet and growth in online usage represent an exciting opportunity for us to extend the reach of our advertisers’ messages to more consumers than ever before. And R.H. Donnelley continues to grow, as an industry leader in Yellow Pages and Online, Local Search - where people go to find the businesses and services they need whenever, wherever and however they seek information.

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2000 - RHD establishes an Internet subsidiary, Get Digital Smart.com, Inc.

2001 - RHD developes on-line operational reporting, the On-Line Page Review® and digital directory systems.

2002 - RHD agrees to acquire Sprint Directory Publishing business on September 22. In 2003, completes the transaction becoming the nation's largest stand-alone publisher of Yellow Pages directories at that time.

2004 - RHD becomes a leading Yellow Pages and Directional Media company, with the acquisition of SBC Communications Inc.'s directory publishing business in Illinois and NW Indiana, including SBC's interest in the DonTech partnership.

2005 - RHD publishes directories in 19 states with digital, online, local search sites in each of its markets.

2006 - RHD acquires Dex Media and becomes the third largest print & online Yellow Pages publisher in the U.S.

1990 - RHD forms the DonTech partnership with Ameritech for directory services in Illinois and NW Indiana.

1994 - RHD creates YPTV (Yellow Pages Television), allowing advertisers to enhance ads for broadcast on cable TV and introduces interactive AutoIntelligence, a New Car Buyer's Guide.

1995 - RHD opens its Raleigh, NC pre-press publishing and Information Center.

1996 - RHD signs an agreement with CFW Telephone Company to serve Virgina & North Carolina.

1998 - RHD is spun off from D&B and on July 1, for the first time in its 112 year history, becomes an independent, publicly traded company.

1980-85 - RHD begins publishing Thomson Directories and forms the Uni-Don partnership with United Telephone to provide directory products to Central Florida.

1986 - RHD becomes the sales agent for NYNEX and begins proprietary businesses in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware in competition with Bell Atlantic. RHD also acquires Southern New Jersey Community Directories.

1987 - The Donnelley Talking Yellow Pages audiotex services are introduced in Cincinnati.

1988 - RHD forms the Cen-Don partnership with Centel Directory Company to provide directory services in Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio & Virginia. RHD teams with Southwestern Bell to form the Venture One partnership to publish directories in Baltimore & Washington, D.C.

1950s - AT&T takes an active role in standardizing directories and promoting usage through public advertising; requires that classified directories be printed on yellow paper.

1930s & 40s - RHD expands, particularly in the mid-Atlantic states and begins sales training for its growing sales force; creates
the first sales training manual.

1880 - R.R. Donnelley establishes his growing businesses as a stand-alone firm, The Chicago Directory Company.

In 1882, he creates his own printing firm in Chicago, R.R. Donnelley & Sons.