Abstract: A telephone answering system includes a processor, a memory for storing alphanumeric subscriber information for each subscriber and typed-in alphanumeric messages for each subscriber, a keyboard for manual entry of the typed-in subscriber messages and commands for operating the answering system, and a CRT display for displaying which trunk lines are ringing, which are on hold, alphanumeric subscriber information for the telephone trunk line presently being answered, alphanumeric subscriber messages retrieved from the memory or being typed into the answering system by means of the keyboard, and indicators showing whether or not the retrieved subscriber message has been accepted by the subscriber. In one embodiment of the invention, a subscriber has a subsystem coupled to a trunk line. The subsystem includes a CRT and a keyboard. The subscriber can directly communicate with the processor to obtain a display of previously called-in messages on the subsystem CRT.