Patrick Spain
Encyclopedia
Patrick J. Spain is the co-founder of Hoover's
, founder of HighBeam Research
and is the co-founder and Executive Chairman of news curation site Newser
.
His father was a career foreign service officer James W. Spain
who was a U.S. ambassador to Tanzania
, Turkey
and Sri Lanka
. Spain was born in Pakistan and grew up Turkey and Washington, DC.
He graduated from the University of Chicago
in 1974 with a bachelor's in Ancient Roman history. He graduated from Boston University
law school in 1979 and went to work as an associate counsel for Extel
a telex
manufacturer. Spain worked for Extel for ten years in various positions including General Counsel, VP of Administration and VP, Mergers & Acquisitions.
In 1990 he moved to Austin, Texas
where he and University of Chicago friends Gary Hoover and Alan Chai, Along with Alta Campbell, founded Hoover's, starting out with a profile of 500 companies in a printed almanac. In 1993 America Online began publishing the profiles online and the company took off. Spain was CEO from 1992 to 2001 and chairman from 2001 to 2002.
He left as chairman of Hoover's in 2002, remaining on the Board until Hoover's was sold to Dun & Bradstreet
in 2003. In 2002, Spain started what would become HighBeam Research
, which was an online subscription research service that allowed users access to tens of millions of articles from thousands of newspapers, magazines, and journals. He sold HighBeam in December 2008 to Cengage Learning
. Spain created Newser
within HighBeam and spun it off prior to the sale of HighBeam. Newser is an online news site that curates and summarizes news in a highly visual format. His partner at Newser is Michael Wolff
.
Spain sits on the boards of GuideStar, the leading supplier of data about the non-profit industry, and SmartAnalyst, a company that provides customized analyses and superior strategic insights for the life sciences industry.
Hoover's
Hoover's, Inc., a subsidiary of Dun & Bradstreet, is a business research company that has provided information on U.S. and foreign companies and industries since 1990. Since 1993, the company has made its information available on its website.-Operations:...
, founder of HighBeam Research
HighBeam Research
HighBeam Research is a paid search engine owned by Cengage Learning for newspapers, magazines, academic journals, newswires, trade magazines and encyclopedias...
and is the co-founder and Executive Chairman of news curation site Newser
Newser
Newser is an online news site based in the United States. It is the brain-child of journalist Michael Wolff, an Internet pioneer, Vanity Fair columnist, and author of the Rupert Murdoch biography, The Man Who Owns the News...
.
His father was a career foreign service officer James W. Spain
James W. Spain
James W. Spain was in the US Foreign Service with postings in Karachi, Islamabad, Istanbul, Ankara, Dar Es Salaam, and Colombo and four ambassadorships in Tanzania, Turkey, the United Nations , and Sri Lanka.His son is Patrick Spain, founder of Hoover's and HighBeam Research.-Biography:Ambassador...
who was a U.S. ambassador to Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. Spain was born in Pakistan and grew up Turkey and Washington, DC.
He graduated from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
in 1974 with a bachelor's in Ancient Roman history. He graduated from Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
law school in 1979 and went to work as an associate counsel for Extel
Extel
Extel was founded in 1872 with its initial undertaking being the laying of the first telegraphic cable on the Atlantic seabed to electronically connect London and New York...
a telex
Telex
Telex may refer to:* Telex , , a communications network** Teleprinter, the device used on the above network* Telex , a Belgian pop group...
manufacturer. Spain worked for Extel for ten years in various positions including General Counsel, VP of Administration and VP, Mergers & Acquisitions.
In 1990 he moved to Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
where he and University of Chicago friends Gary Hoover and Alan Chai, Along with Alta Campbell, founded Hoover's, starting out with a profile of 500 companies in a printed almanac. In 1993 America Online began publishing the profiles online and the company took off. Spain was CEO from 1992 to 2001 and chairman from 2001 to 2002.
He left as chairman of Hoover's in 2002, remaining on the Board until Hoover's was sold to Dun & Bradstreet
Dun & Bradstreet
Dun & Bradstreet is a Fortune 500 public company headquartered in Short Hills, New Jersey, USA that provides information on businesses and corporations for use in credit decisions, B2B marketing and supply chain management...
in 2003. In 2002, Spain started what would become HighBeam Research
HighBeam Research
HighBeam Research is a paid search engine owned by Cengage Learning for newspapers, magazines, academic journals, newswires, trade magazines and encyclopedias...
, which was an online subscription research service that allowed users access to tens of millions of articles from thousands of newspapers, magazines, and journals. He sold HighBeam in December 2008 to Cengage Learning
Cengage Learning
Cengage Learning is a publisher of print and digital information services for the academic, professional and library markets, and delivers customized learning solutions for colleges, universities, professors, students, libraries, government agencies, corporations and professionals around the...
. Spain created Newser
Newser
Newser is an online news site based in the United States. It is the brain-child of journalist Michael Wolff, an Internet pioneer, Vanity Fair columnist, and author of the Rupert Murdoch biography, The Man Who Owns the News...
within HighBeam and spun it off prior to the sale of HighBeam. Newser is an online news site that curates and summarizes news in a highly visual format. His partner at Newser is Michael Wolff
Michael Wolff (journalist)
Michael Wolff is an American author, essayist, and journalist. He currently writes a regular column for Vanity Fair magazine. He is well known for his acerbic, combative, and humorous style...
.
Spain sits on the boards of GuideStar, the leading supplier of data about the non-profit industry, and SmartAnalyst, a company that provides customized analyses and superior strategic insights for the life sciences industry.