"I learned that asking the right questions is far more important than any formula or spreadsheet." - Regan Sheeley '04
Jack Crosby
Maverick. Philanthropist. Trailblazer. Pioneer. Words to describe the ideal Acton scholar. Words to describe Jack Crosby. A telecommunications leader and the force behind the Rust Group, a private investment partnership with interests in cable television, media entertainment, banking, and real estate development, Crosby has placed himself at the forefront of communications and entertainment for decades.
In the 1950s, Crosby realized that his father couldn't sell televisions from his store in Del Rio, Texas, because there was no television broadcast to watch. Addressing the problem, he organized one of the first private entities to receive a license from the FCC to transmit TV signals via microwave, bringing cable to South Texas. From that starting point, Crosby organized eight major multiple system cable companies, helped countries like Germany, the Netherlands, and Argentina establish cable network systems, and served as the director and chairman of the National Cable Television Association. For his work his peers honored him as one of the Pioneers of the Cable Television Industry.
Crosby also moved into the film business, working with companies like Imagine Films Entertainment, Orion Pictures, and The Sundance Institute. He now sits on the advisory board of Burnt Orange Productions, the University of Texas Film Institute's production company.
Indeed, much of Jack Crosby's philanthropic work involves UT, where he serves as a life member on the development board and endowed the Jack R. Crosby Chair in Business Administration at the McCombs School of Business.
Now Crosby has turned his attention to wireless internet access. As a board member for Coach Connect Corporation, Crosby is helping to promote his home state by bringing wireless internet to every safety rest area and travel information center in Texas.
Lord Acton said, "A wise person does at once what a fool does at last." For 50 years, Jack Crosby has worked as a leader in emerging fields, bringing news and entertainment to millions of people around the world, blazing a trail for others to follow.
