Quick Facts
Biography
Theodore R. Hostetter (1870-1902) was an American heir, businessman, polo player and yachtsman during the Gilded Age.
Biography
Early life
Theodore Rickey Hostetter was born in 1870. His father was David Hostetter (1819-1888) and his mother, Rosetta (Rickey) Hostetter. He had a brother, D. Herbert Hostetter. He attended public schools in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania the Western University of Pennsylvania, and a college in New England.
Business
He served as Vice President of the Hostetter Company, his family business. He also ran the East End Riding Academy.
Sports
He built a polo field on his Pennsylvania farm, and played polo regularly.
Additionally, he was an avid yachtsman. He was a member of the New York Yacht Club and the Columbia Boat Club.
He was also a notable gambler. For example, he won US$30,000 on the United States presidential election of 1896, by betting on William McKinley. He also gambled and won on yacht races. Additionally, he would bet US$1,000 a game on polo matches in Narragansett Pier. The year before his death, he lost US$1 million, mostly to David C. Johnson, John Daly and Richard Canfield. After David C. Johnson sued his widow to get his money back.
Personal life
He married Allene Tew (1872-1955). They had three children:
- Greta Hostetter (1892-1918; married Glenn Stewart).
- Verna Hostetter (1893-1895; died in early childhood).
- Theodore R. Hostetter, Jr. (1897-1918; killed in World War I).
They had a farm in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. They also resided at the Waldorf Astoria New York, a luxury hotel in Manhattan, New York City. Additionally, they summered in Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island and wintered in South Carolina.
Death
He died of pneumonia on August 3, 1902.