Comcast founder Ralph Roberts, whose cable roots went back more than 50 years to a tiny operation serving around 1,200 customers in Tupelo, MS, passed away last night at the age of 95.
Regardless of your opinion of Comcast, Ralph Roberts is inarguably a key figure in the history of pay-TV. He purchased the wee American Cable Systems in 1963, and six years later moved his business to Philadelphia where it was incorporated under the name Comcast.
In 1990, Roberts handed day-to-day control of the company over to his then 30-year-old son Brian, under whose leadership Comcast expanded to become the largest, and possibly most controversial, cable and Internet provider in the country. Ralph remained with Comcast as chairman of the board until 2002.
The elder Roberts and his wife Suzanne remained heavily involved in philanthropy and arts patronage through the Suzanne F. and Ralph J. Roberts Foundation. The family’s legacy of giving lives on in facilities like the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at Penn Medicine. He was also heavily involved in organizations like the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Brandywine Museum and Conservancy, the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, and the National Conference for Community and Justice.
“Ralph was a remarkable man who touched the lives of so many people,” reads a statement from the Roberts family. “He was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather and perhaps most importantly, a kind and humble human being. He will always be remembered for his generosity, integrity, honesty, kindness and respect for everyone around him. He was an inspiration to us all and we will miss him greatly.”
by Chris Morran via Consumerist
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