In 1880, the French government awarded Alexander Bell about $300k which he used to fund Volta Laboratory (Alexander Graham Bell Laboratory) in Washington, D.C. but AT&T took control of its patents (Bell System) by 1889.
I still don't see how that is a real link between the research that was done over 40 years later at Bell Labs in New York and New Jersey (where most of the important research took place). It is also true that Bell Telephone existed prior to the award.
