I think anyone who hasnt tried Whataburger definitely should because it is one of the best fast food places. Harmon was a stickler for cleanliness and very detailoriented, his sister LenaRae explained to biographer Greg Woolridge.
Statue of the Founder of Whataburger, Corpus Christi, Texas She was very excited about that." Ben Cauley survived the crash and James Alexander was not on the plane. He nearly lost a lot of money due to his drunk oil partners actions. And by the end of 1989, Whataburger was serving hot and fresh food at 440 different locations. This, I believe, will turn out to be a very profitable investment, which is something up until May 1, I was very unaccustomed.3, Dobson aimed to make a better burger a burger so good that it would require two hands to hold it. Harmon Dobson was sixteen years old on Black Friday, but this first Black Friday was no shopping extravaganza: it marked the most devastating stock market crash in United States history. Dobson, an Arkansas native, married Harmon Dobson in . The meat and vegetables were always fresh, never frozen. We also elevated General Managers in our more than 850 restaurants to Operating partners, serving as the face of Whataburger in their communities, connecting and creating relationships with local schools, businesses, and nonprofits. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Whataburger founder Harmon Dobson stands in front of his first . As one of the largest franchisees, WOA was hit particularly hard by this arrangement. Es Cuaresma y Whataburger lo sabe: El Whatacatch, est de regreso! Learn more about merges. On July 19, 1989, one of the most dramatic events in aviation unfolded in the skies over Iowa as heroic pilots battled to land a crippled DC-10. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. While passing through the Southwest United States, particularly Texas, one will probably encounter big, tall, orange and white signs with a Texas-sized W. This is the sign of the famous Texas fast food restaurant Whataburger. Through the years, she also served in numerous philanthropic capacities including working for the USO, Coastal Bend Youth City, the Kidney Foundation and the Texas State Aquarium. Always thinking bigger, the moment Whataburger began, Dobson and Burton were already seeking a possible second location in Houston. Auteur/autrice de la publication : Post published: 16 juin 2022; Post category: . Great job on your article Courtney! He was not afraid to tell people if they did not meet his standards.. In 1969, Grace became chairman of the board. Most people thought Grace Dobson would sell her rapidly growing hamburger business after her husband died in a private plane crash in 1967. After he was killed in a plane crash in 1967, his wife, Grace, took . In 1955, Harmon married Grace Williamson. The burger chain has large hamburgers, skinny long fries, creamy milkshakes, and more. Together, they raised three children: Hugh, Lynne and Tom. I didnt know the history of Whataburger was so interesting. 1 Colonization and Settlement (1500-1763), 2 Revolution and Early Republic (1754-1801), 4 Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877), 5 Emergence of Modern America (1877-1929), 4 Late Middle Ages-Renaissance-Reformation Europe (1300-1648), 3 Post-Classical History (600 CE-1492 CE), HS 1302 United States History since 1877, SP 3392 Language Variation and Dialectology of Spanish, Dom DiFurio and Oria McCaffrey, Whataburgers founding family sells controlling stake in iconic Texas chain,, College of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences. This is the era in which country music legend Mel Tillis started appearing in television commercials for the company, a role that would continue through the 80s. The Texas burger landscape is more competitive than ever, thanks to an influx of regional mini-chains such as Austins P. Terrys, the Metroplexs Twisted Root Burger Co., and Houstons Becks Prime and smaller national chains such as Smashburger, Five Guys, and Shake Shack. Since post-war production had not yet returned, the U.S. had a great need for autos, particularly in rural areas. If they cant settle their differences, its not clear where theyll be tomorrow. However, Dobson found success to be lonely. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). He purchased a frozen custard stand called Dairy King in Big Spring, Texas, and ran it for a few weeks to learn the business. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. The 70s was a decade of Whataburger milestones. Tom healed the wounds that Peterson left on Whataburger by pulling together as a company, simplifying its message, shutting down less profitable locations, and putting emphasis back on its famous burgers.14. In part because of its regional statusof the nearly 800 current Whataburger locations, more than 600 are in Texasthe chain inspires a combination of pride and loyalty among many Texans. Really great article. This event coincided with the mass unemployment and hysteria that lasted throughout the following decade. Learn more about managing a memorial . The entire crew bailed out, with Harmon parachuting into a jungle. The main reason for the move was for oil. From the very start, Lady Grace saw to it that Whataburger gave back to the community. Because of World War II, auto manufacturing plants had been repurposed to produce wartime products. Make sure that the file is a photo. Born: October 8, 1913, Wayne, OK. Died: 1967, La Porte, TX. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? These days, Whataburger doesnt seem so grateful. His friend and associate, Andrew Sneed was also killed. BDT Capital Partners acquired a majority interest in Whataburger and Ed Nelson was promoted to President in 2019. Online ordering through Whataburgers app and website debuted in 2019. Since his businesses were now at different locations, Harmon figured it was wise to visit them by plane. He flew to Texas to scout out the oil and auto possibilities in places like Witchita Falls, Dallas, and Houston. The. Later, he went to Egypt and worked on the Suez Canal. They have jalapeo eating contests, giveaways, and appearances from the company mascot, Whataguy. However, news broke out in June 2019 that Whataburger sold a controlling interest in the company to Chicago- based investment banking firm BDT Capital. Whataburger moved its Home Office to San Antonio from Corpus Christi in 2009. Sadly, in 2005, Whataburger Family Members mourned the loss of Lady Grace as she was called by many. (Dobson remains as chairman.) Whataburger saw a change of leadership for the first time since the 1990s as Tom Dobson, Harmon's son, took over as President and CEO. By March 5, the couple was married. For Adler, the name on the stadium and the ball-throwing honor were small tributes to a woman he thought the world of. By the end of the decade, Harmon would open Whataburger #21 in Pensacola, Florida. Franchisees and the parent company squabbled over products and promotions, and the once familial corporate culture deteriorated into an us-versus-them mentality. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? In the 21st century, it's not just urns and gravestones anymore. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. We still greet our customers with a smile 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, early on Burton and Dobson found that their differing business philosophies were undeniable. The burger chain has large hamburgers, skinny long fries, creamy milkshakes, and more. They are memories Sheka said he will treasure. Try again later. In my personal opinion, I am glad he did not succeed in striking oil because I would not have been able to enjoy Whataburger. [1] In 1971, the company opened its first drive-through store, and in 1972, it opened its 100th store. By 1951, Dobson was an official Texan. Dobson, who was an avid pilot, was inspired by his time in sky, designed the orange and white striped A-frame store in Odessa, Texas, in 1961. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. It isnt a small business anymore, and to keep ahead of the competition, it may have to start acting its size. A Montana family is mourning the loss of their husband, father and grandfather this week after the 50-year-old man crashed in an airplane in Summit County while flying solo along a route he knew well. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Harmon Dobson (16533251)? I never knew that Dobsons initial intent was to try and strike oil here in Texas. It was interesting to me reading about the founder of this fast food chain Whtaburger, and all the dedication he put towards his work, I think is very tragic and unfortunate the way Dobson died, he would have accomplished much more succeses during his life time. On June 23, 1950, the Texas Secretary of State office granted Dobson the trademark for Whataburger. Dobson then invested more time and more effort into developing the first Whatabuger.4, Eventually, on August 8, 1950, Dobson opened and sold his first Whataburger through the window of a little portable building. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. (Dobson family members also may be ready to cash out.) By the mid-60s, there were over 40 stores in fifteen Texas cities and four states. The larger burgers that could be found back in the 1950s were served on 4-inch buns. I found this sad and interesting. In 2001, the Whataburger Family Foundation officially began, though the charitable efforts had been ongoing since day one. Dobson faced financial challenges. The Whataburger Jr. was added to the menu, as were jalapeos and onion rings. Despite the leadership turmoil, the two companies continued operating under the 1993 agreement for more than twenty years, and tensions seemed to have eased. Thats when they look at me through squinted eyes and really say, Yeah, Right!! Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. While her husband, Harmon Dobson, was the one who launched the first Whataburger, it was Lady Grace who clung tightly to her husbands legacy through terrible trials and tragedies. Also, Whataburger expanded to places such as Las Vegas and Memphis, where the company was unknown, leading to a lack of customers purchasing food.
Tom Harmon is Missing | University of Michigan Heritage Project Please reset your password. Failed to delete memorial. Dobson was involved in the early growth of the franchise from 1950 until his death in an airplane crash in 1967. It was the first Whataburger restaurant outside the state of Texas. What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative? Oops, we were unable to send the email. Dobson was a notorious bachelor, but he had always liked a beautiful young widow he met at the C.I.T. Credit Corporation in Batesville during his auto dealing years. Andrews surrendered exclusivity to the San Antonio market and agreed to sell the existing San Antonio stores back to Whataburger. In addition to that, Dobson sold chips and a cold drink with the burger. The other victims were identified by the Texas . Thomas Mark Harmon, 50, of Laurel, Mont., died at the scene Monday after crashing his small plane . The men were killed instantly.12, About two years after Harmon Dobsons death, on July 10, 1969, Grace Dobson, the wife of Harmon Dobson, was officially elected chairwoman of the board with George W. Garrison named as the president. With his massive profits, he dabbled in oil speculation and mining diamonds in South America. They were finally recovered earlier this month after five months of rescue attempts. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings.
Our History: The Whataburger Story A student organization of St. Marys University of San Antonio, Texas, featuring scholarly research, writing, and media from students of all disciplines. Mr. Harmon Dobson, the co-Founder of Whataburger Co., died on April 11, 1967, which left his wife and widow, Grace, to take control over the of the business. By the end of 1950, Dobson had quit both the oil and auto industries and made Whataburger his sole venture. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Try again later. I have heard that Whataburger is from Texas but I was never completely sure. Corpus Christi is going to miss Grace Dobson. BDT Capital Partners acquired a majority interest in Whataburger and Ed Nelson was promoted to President in 2019. Read more: 2 dead after small plane crashes near Thorsby: Alberta . After the Second World War ended, Harmon settled on buying used cars, which became profitable. In 1952, Dobson opened a location in Kingsville, Texas, this was the first store located outside of Corpus Christi. Angel crashed fifteen times before meeting his demise, but it only took Dobson four wrecks to wake up and realize the diamond business might prove fatal. At age 16, Dobson was accepted into the University of Missouri to study journalism, but was forced to return to his family farm soon after attending due to a family crisis at home due to the Great Depression. The Harmon Rocket two-seat sport plane . On August 8, 2000, Whataburger proudly celebrated its 50th anniversary with 575 restaurants in operation and millions of fans all over the country. I never knew anything about the man who created it and i found it hilarious that he wanted people to say what a burger! It is crazy that he died in a plane crash. Online ordering through Whataburgers app and website debuted in 2019. Dobson revealed that in Fast Food magazine in 1957 that flying over a Whataburger in Bryan, Texas led to more customers buying burgers. Try again later. That someone was Harmon Dobson, and that chain is Whataburger, which he started in a Corpus Christi shack in 1950, and which today numbers some 700 restaurants, the majority of them still in Texas. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. 0 cemeteries found in Batesville, Independence County, Arkansas, USA. Dobson wanted to increase the price of a burgerfrom 25 to 30 cents. Little did he know that he was going to be the founder of an epic fast food restaurant. Dobson faced financial challenges. I thought it was only a Texas thing and never heard of them existing anywhere else. For the Andrews family, this shift in corporate culture first became apparent two years ago, when it told the company headquarters, which had moved from Corpus to San Antonio in 2009, that it wanted to open a new store in Laredo. Leave them blank to get signed up. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Be the first to post a memory or condolences. ! Then they ask, whats a picture show? I try to explain drive in movies to them. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Other publicly traded restaurant companies have made similar moves recently. Resend Activation Email. 1967 Press Photo Plane Crash Kill Harmon Dobson & Luther Sneed Restaurant Owners Condition: -- Price: US $10.00 Buy It Now Add to cart Add to Watchlist Returns accepted Ships from United States Shipping: US $4.99Standard Shipping | See details Located in: Memphis, Tennessee, United States Delivery: I hope to become a successful journalist in the future. Dobson was involved in the early growth of the franchise from 1950 until his death in an airplane crash in 1967. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. This was a very interesting story to tell! The lawsuit, filed in San Antonio in March, traces the roots of the dispute to the earliest days of the Whataburger chain, which Dobson founded in 1950 after stints in shipbuilding, oil drilling, and diamond trading. If youre in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist. Whats the beef between Texass most iconic burger chain and its most loyal franchisee? Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Before the Whataburger, the typical burger was a White Castle slider, a two-ounce beef patty on a 2-inch bun. By 1990 Whataburger had 475 locations across the southern United States; WOA was running more than 30 of them, in Bexar, Bee, Jim Wells, and Webb counties. Failed to report flower. A few weeks after the funeral, Grace visited Dobson in Corpus Christi, and they had their first date at Whataburger.
Whatabattle! - Texas Monthly The two-seat aircraft crashed into a field north of Thorsby around 1:40 p.m., RCMP said in a Saturday evening news release. The best poems for funerals, memorial services., and cards. Their business completed the next day, on April 11, 1967, and the men were going back home. She was infuriated that people were telling her to sell off her husbands dream and just enjoy the money. By the late eighties the company had begun to lose its way. Most people thought Grace Dobson would sell her rapidly growing hamburger business after her husband died in a private plane crash in 1967. . in 2013. It was also surprising to me that Whataburgers exists in other states. Dobson filled that need by buying used autos from urban areas like Detroit, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., and selling them back in Batesville for huge profits. Despite all these changes, we're still sticking to what got us here. By the company's seventh decade, Whataburger had grown from a single burger stand in Corpus Christi to an 800-restaurant chain that spanned every state from Arizona to Florida. August 10, 1950- I came to Corpus Wed. Paul finally opened Tuesday [August 8] $50 first day, $79 yesterday & $62 today. 1967. Angel was a bit more adventurous than Dobson, though both crashed several times in Africa while mining for diamonds. Beechcraft Model 18. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. The Whataburger, however, was a whopping quarter pound of fresh grilled beef loaded with fresh vegetables and served on a 5-inch bun, and in 1950 there was nothing like it. However, if one thinks about it, if it were not for this incident, Dobson would not have gone down the road that he did to finance Whataburger. Thanks for your help! Tom healed the wounds that Peterson left on Whataburger by pulling together as a company, simplifying its message, shutting down less profitable locations, and putting emphasis back on its famous burgers.14. Unwilling to compromise, Dobson offered Burton the keys to his yellow Plymouth convertible and franchise rights to all of San Antonio in exchange for the business. The burgers were always cooked exactly how the customer wanted them to be. Drag images here or select from your computer for Harmon Archibald Dobson memorial. She did not like to drive, so for years he picked her up and drove her to monthly USO meetings.
Shortly after arriving on campus, Harmon was called home to help with a family crisis. Harmon Archibald Dobson [1] was an American entrepreneur best known as one of the founders of the fast food chain Whataburger. I had no idea that the founder of Whataburger started in the oil business! Tom Dobson. Harmon Dobson was the founder of WHATABURGER Inc. August 20, 1989. Weve updated the security on the site. This is a terrible time to risk messing with the Whataburger brand. Harmon's is not the only plane crash to go against the drop in accidents that the War Department are reporting. In 1956 and 1957, respectively, they had a daughter named Mary Lynne and a son named Hugh Carlton. However, after only four months, Dobson grew restless and returned to the U.S. By August of that year, he returned home. Whataburger dismisses WOAs allegations, saying the suit contains serious misstatements and baseless speculation. (Whataburger and WOA and their attorneys declined to be interviewed for this story. But thats a tough needle to thread for a company that has developed intense customer loyalty because of its down-home, noncorporate image. And on May 6, 1999, Whataburger by the Bay opened in Corpus Christi as a tribute to Whataburger's upcoming 50th anniversary. The place did well, and soon Dobson added two more locations in Corpus and one in nearby Kingsville.
Ricky Nelson and Six Others Die As Their Plane Crashes in Texas For some people, the best send-off is one that they would have loved to attendthemselves: a big party. I hope to become a successful journalist in the future.
Unique 30-foot-tall A-frame design spiked interest in Whataburger Family tree of Harmon Dobson - Geneastar The meat and vegetables were always fresh, never frozen. Giving to charity is a meaningful way to honor someone who has died. So, he brought along Johnny Sneed, who was working with a Whataburger franchise in Victoria, Texas. Send simple, comforting meals with Home Chef. He was able to please his customers with a five-inch burger by making special arrangements with the Rainbo Bread Company to develop five-inch buns, which were an inch larger than the standard bun. Unfortunately, Coy was protective of Grace and had warned her about dating his unsettled, gallivanting brother. As a devout Whataburger customer this article was fascinating. He was able to please his customers with a five-inch burger by making special arrangements with the Rainbo Bread Company to develop five-inch buns, which were an inch larger than the standard bun. Non-family executives, without direct ownership interest in a privately held company, sometimes try to profit from a companys success by heading up a public offering. A Douglas C-124C Globemaster II plane, serial 52-1062, was damaged beyond repair in an accident 10 km from Stephenville-Harmon AFB, NL (YJT), Canada. Months later, Harmon raised the prices for burgers to 35 cents. Otherwise, it wouldnt approve any new sites for WOA. Whataburgers affairs were more and more being turned over to the professionals, all of whom wanted to participate in what by now had ceased to be a family business and had become simply a large corporate entity, WOA claims in its lawsuit. In 1953 , Joe Andrews received the first Whataburger franchise, and business was booming. The struggles that Dobson endured building such an important food chain are inspiring. Along the way they talked about old times and old friends.
Harmon Archibald Dobson (1913-1967) - Find a Grave Memorial [4] In 1993, her son Tom Dobson became the CEO and president of Whataburger. She also gave copious amounts of her time and money back to Corpus Christi and the state. I'm going to miss her, too." The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. One part of this strategy, the lawsuit contends, is to buy out franchisees with an eye toward taking the company public; gaining greater control over its franchise operations could provide greater value to future shareholders.
The first Whataburger was served 66 years ago today in South Texas - mySA An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. Whataburger is so common to me, as a Texan, that I forget not every state has one. Born in 1913 in Wayne, Oklahoma, Harmon Dobson was raised in the rural farming community of Cushman, Arkansas. Contents 1 Early life 2 Whataburger 3 Death 4 References Early life
Two die after small plane crashes in field southwest of Edmonton