John Hendricks: Difference between revisions
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{{about|the television executive|other people with similar names|John Hendricks (disambiguation)}} |
{{about|the television executive|other people with similar names|John Hendricks (disambiguation)}} |
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{{Infobox person |
{{Infobox person |
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| name = John |
| name = John |
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| birth_name = John Samuel |
| birth_name = John Samuel |
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|03|29}} |
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|03|29}} |
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| birth_place = [[Matewan, West Virginia]], US |
| birth_place = [[Matewan, West Virginia]], US |
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| awards = [[International Emmy Founders Award]] (2000) |
| awards = [[International Emmy Founders Award]] (2000) |
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'''John Samuel |
'''John Samuel '''<ref>''A Curious Discovery: An Entrepreneur's Story'', by John , Chapter 1</ref> (born March 29, 1952)<ref name="Interview">"John : An Oral History," The Cable Center, September 2, 2003.</ref> is an American businessman and is the founder and former chairman of [[Discovery, Inc.]], a broadcasting and film production company which owns the [[Discovery Channel]], TLC and [[Animal Planet]] networks, among other ventures. On March 20, 2014, after 32 years at the helm, he made public his decision to retire as chairman of Discovery Communications after the annual [[shareholders' meeting]] of May 16, 2014. He moved on to found [[CuriosityStream]], an ad-free, on-demand nonfiction streaming service.<ref>{{cite web|title=About CuriosityStream|url=https://curiositystream.com/about|website=CuriosityStream|accessdate=1 September 2015}}</ref> |
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==Early life== |
==Early life== |
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Born in [[Matewan, West Virginia]], |
Born in [[Matewan, West Virginia]], ' father was a home builder and his mother a clerk for city government. In 1958, the family moved to [[Huntsville, Alabama]], where Hendricks grew up. His father died when he was 20, and his mother died when he was 30. He attended [[S.R. Butler High School]] where he met his first wife, Pattie Miller. Hendricks graduated from the [[University of Alabama in Huntsville]], and he received his [[bachelor's degree]] in [[history]] in 1974. While a student at UAH he worked in the audio visual department where he had the idea to bring documentaries to the public. |
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He was hired as director of community and government relations for the University of Alabama in Huntsville the year he graduated, and became director of corporate and foundation relations for the [[University of Maryland, College Park|University of Maryland]] in 1975. While at the University of Maryland, he co-founded a fund-raising consulting company, the American Association of University Consultants, with Edward M. Peabody, and published several newsletters aimed at academic disciplines such as chemistry.<ref name="Interview" /><ref name="Southwick">Southwick, "Cable Television: The First 50 Years," ''Cable World,'' September 1998.</ref> |
He was hired as director of community and government relations for the University of Alabama in Huntsville the year he graduated, and became director of corporate and foundation relations for the [[University of Maryland, College Park|University of Maryland]] in 1975. While at the University of Maryland, he co-founded a fund-raising consulting company, the American Association of University Consultants, with Edward M. Peabody, and published several newsletters aimed at academic disciplines such as chemistry.<ref name="Interview" /><ref name="Southwick">Southwick, "Cable Television: The First 50 Years," ''Cable World,'' September 1998.</ref> |
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*Hobgood, Cynthia. "A Dreamer's Discovery." ''Washington Business Journal.'' June 14, 2002. |
*Hobgood, Cynthia. "A Dreamer's Discovery." ''Washington Business Journal.'' June 14, 2002. |
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*[http://www.cablecenter.org/education/library/oralHistoryDetails.cfm?id=107 "John Hendricks: An Oral History." The Cable Center. September 2, 2003.] Accessed July 18, 2007. |
*[http://www.cablecenter.org/education/library/oralHistoryDetails.cfm?id=107 "John Hendricks: An Oral History." The Cable Center. September 2, 2003.] Accessed July 18, 2007. |
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*Kaplan, Peter. "John |
*Kaplan, Peter. "John : Cable Pioneer Discovers Value of Putting Substance over Style." ''Washington Times.'' December 23, 1996. |
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*"Lowell Gets OK to Add $30 Million Telescope." ''Associated Press.'' October 18, 2004. |
*"Lowell Gets OK to Add $30 Million Telescope." ''Associated Press.'' October 18, 2004. |
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*Michaelis, Vicki. "WUSA Ceases Operations After Three Years." ''USA Today.'' September 16, 2003. |
*Michaelis, Vicki. "WUSA Ceases Operations After Three Years." ''USA Today.'' September 16, 2003. |
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{{Authority control}} |
{{Authority control}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:, John}} |
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[[Category:1952 births]] |
[[Category:1952 births]] |
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[[Category:Living people]] |
[[Category:Living people]] |
Revision as of 14:58, 25 September 2020
John Hendrick | |
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Born | John Samuel Hendrick March 29, 1952 |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Businessman |
Known for | Founder of Discovery Communications |
Awards | International Emmy Founders Award (2000) |
John Samuel Hendrick[1] (born March 29, 1952)[2] is an American businessman and is the founder and former chairman of Discovery, Inc., a broadcasting and film production company which owns the Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet networks, among other ventures. On March 20, 2014, after 32 years at the helm, he made public his decision to retire as chairman of Discovery Communications after the annual shareholders' meeting of May 16, 2014. He moved on to found CuriosityStream, an ad-free, on-demand nonfiction streaming service.[3]
Early life
Born in Matewan, West Virginia, Hendrick' father was a home builder and his mother a clerk for city government. In 1958, the Hendrick family moved to Huntsville, Alabama, where Hendricks grew up. His father died when he was 20, and his mother died when he was 30. He attended S.R. Butler High School where he met his first wife, Pattie Miller. Hendricks graduated from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and he received his bachelor's degree in history in 1974. While a student at UAH he worked in the audio visual department where he had the idea to bring documentaries to the public.
He was hired as director of community and government relations for the University of Alabama in Huntsville the year he graduated, and became director of corporate and foundation relations for the University of Maryland in 1975. While at the University of Maryland, he co-founded a fund-raising consulting company, the American Association of University Consultants, with Edward M. Peabody, and published several newsletters aimed at academic disciplines such as chemistry.[2][4]
Commercial ventures
John Hendricks founded the Cable Educational Network, Inc., in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1982 to provide documentary programming to cable broadcasters. On June 17, 1985, Hendricks launched the Discovery Channel with $5 million in start-up capital led by the American investment firm Allen & Company. Today, Discovery's main shareholders include John Malone, chairman of Liberty Media, and Advance/Newhouse (publishers of Vanity Fair, New Yorker, and Vogue).[5]
Hendricks helped found the Women's United Soccer Association in 1999. After operating for three seasons, WUSA ceased operations in 2003.[6] In 2004, Hendricks and a group of investors attempted a financial rescue of the league to revive professional women's soccer in the United States. In April 2007, the WUSA announced a revival of the league, to occur in 2008.[7] The new league, Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), ran March 2009 to January 2012.
In 2013, Harper Collins published his first business memoir, A Curious Discovery: An Entrepreneur's Story. His biography recounts the struggles and triumphs of turning his passion for documentary programs into the world's most widely distributed cable channel and parlaying its popularity into a leading global media company.[8]
In 2015, Hendricks founded CuriosityStream, an online video on demand service.[9] CuriosityStream provides documentaries and series about science, technology, history and nature.
Family
John Hendricks married his current wife, Maureen Donohue, on January 10, 1981. John and Maureen have two children, Elizabeth Hendricks and Andrew Hendricks. Elizabeth attended the Holton-Arms School and Princeton University, and serves as President of Hendricks Factual Media.[10][11] Andrew attended the Landon School,[12] and is President of Driven Experiences, a racing and automotive company invested in many forms of the marketing media.[13] Andrew is also a professional sports car driver in Grand-Am Road Racing.[2]
Charitable activity
In 1995, Hendricks was appointed to the Lowell Observatory Advisory Board. In 2004, Hendricks donated $1 million to the Observatory for the construction of the Lowell Discovery Telescope.[14] In 2007, Hendricks donated an additional $5 million to the Observatory to complete the telescope. The Planetary Research Center at the Observatory was renamed the Hendricks Center for Planetary Studies shortly thereafter in honor of the donation.[15]
Hendricks serves on the Board of Directors of a number of non-profit organizations including United States Olympic Committee, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Institute for Advanced Study, National Forest Foundation, and Discovery Learning Alliance.
Hendricks has organized two charitable foundations. The John and Maureen Hendricks Charitable Foundation was established in 2001. It receives donations from the Hendricks family (roughly $1.1 million in 2005-2006, according to the foundation's Form 900 tax statement) and disburses grants to charitable causes. In total gifting, the Hendricks have donated over $30 million to numerous non-profit organizations supporting a wide variety of causes, from basic social services to science research.[16][17] The John S. Hendricks Family Foundation was established in 1997. The foundation is used for specialized charitable purposes by the Hendricks family, and had no income, assets or disbursements in calendar years 2003, 2004 or 2005 (according to the foundation's Form 900 tax statements).[18]
Honors
- 6066 Hendricks asteroid named after him.[19]
- In 2011, Hendricks was honored with an Edison Achievement Award for his commitment to innovation throughout his career.
References
- ^ A Curious Discovery: An Entrepreneur's Story, by John Hendrick, Chapter 1
- ^ a b c "John Hendrick: An Oral History," The Cable Center, September 2, 2003.
- ^ "About CuriosityStream". CuriosityStream. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ^ Southwick, "Cable Television: The First 50 Years," Cable World, September 1998.
- ^ Forrester, "Discovery Communications: Growing, growing, growing," TBS Journal, No. 11, Fall 2003; Eisenberg, "TV's Unlikely Empire," Time, February 23, 2003.
- ^ Longman, "Women's Soccer League Folds on World Cup's Eve" The New York Times, September 16, 2003.
- ^ "WUSA to Relaunch in 2008 With Eight Teams." Associated Press. April 18, 2007.
- ^ http://corporate.discovery.com/leadership/john-hendricks/
- ^ "Discovery Channel founder launches video streaming service". Tech 2. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-31. Retrieved 2014-02-08.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ [1]
- ^ http://www.landon.net/uploaded/iac/wrestling/reviews/ireton.htm
- ^ "About Driven Experiences". Driven Experiences. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
- ^ "Lowell Gets OK to Add $30 Million Telescope," Associated Press, October 18, 2004.
- ^ "Hendricks Family Boosts Discovery Channel Telescope With Additional $5 Million Contribution," Press release, Lowell Observatory, March 19, 2007.
- ^ HendricksFoundation.org Archived 2014-01-04 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ John and Maureen Hendricks Charitable Foundation on Guidestar.org, accessed July 18, 2007.
- ^ John S. Hendricks Family Foundation on Guidestar.org, accessed July 18, 2007.
- ^ http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=6066
- Dawtrey, Adam. "BBC, Discovery in Fact Pact." Variety. March 23, 1998.
- Eisenberg, Daniel. "TV's Unlikely Empire." Time. February 23, 2003.
- Fimea, Mike. "Lowell Seeking New Telescope." Arizona Business Gazette. January 1, 2004.
- French, Scott. "John Hendricks Q&A: 'We're able to invest with confidence'." Sports Illustrated. January 21, 2001.
- Grove, Christopher. "Hendricks Leads Global Discovery Mission." Variety. November, 2000.
- "Hendricks Family Boosts Discovery Channel Telescope With Additional $5 Million Contribution." Press release, Lowell Observatory. March 19, 2007. Accessed July 18, 2007.
- Higgins, John M. "Back to Nature." Broadcasting & Cable. January 16, 2006.
- Hobgood, Cynthia. "A Dreamer's Discovery." Washington Business Journal. June 14, 2002.
- "John Hendricks: An Oral History." The Cable Center. September 2, 2003. Accessed July 18, 2007.
- Kaplan, Peter. "John Hendrick: Cable Pioneer Discovers Value of Putting Substance over Style." Washington Times. December 23, 1996.
- "Lowell Gets OK to Add $30 Million Telescope." Associated Press. October 18, 2004.
- Michaelis, Vicki. "WUSA Ceases Operations After Three Years." USA Today. September 16, 2003.
- Southwick, Thomas P. "Cable Television: The First 50 Years." Cable World. September 1998.
- "WUSA to Relaunch in 2008 With Eight Teams." Associated Press. April 18, 2007.