Early Life and Education
Amos Barr Hostetter Jr. was born on January 12, 1937, in the United States. He is the son of Amos Hostetter, a prominent trader. He attended the Pingry School and graduated in 1954. He pursued higher education at Amherst College, graduating in 1958 with a B.A. in Economics. He furthered his education by earning an M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1961.
Rise to Success
In 1963, Hostetter co-founded Continental Cablevision with H. Irving Grousbeck. Over the next three decades, Continental Cablevision grew to become the third-largest cable systems operator in the United States, and the largest privately-owned cable company at the time of its sale. In 1996, Hostetter sold Continental Cablevision to US West for $11 billion. He later bought the company back and sold it to AT&T for $58 billion.
Key Business Strategies
Hostetter's success stemmed from his ability to identify and capitalize on the growing demand for cable television services. His strategic approach included focusing on suburban communities and mid-sized cities. He invested in information technology and training programs to create one of the most extensive training programs in the industry. Hostetter was also an early supporter of C-SPAN and served as a C-SPAN director since its founding.
Philanthropy
Amos Hostetter Jr., along with his wife Barbara, founded the Barr Foundation in 1999. The foundation primarily supports initiatives in the Boston region, focusing on arts, education, and climate change. The Barr Foundation has donated over $1.7 billion. Hostetter has also been a major political donor to the Democratic Party.
