The. Harmon Archibald Dobson [1] was an American entrepreneur best known as one of the founders of the fast food chain Whataburger. It hurts the brand ultimately.. Many Texans still love and appreciate the food at this Texas treasure. Andrews developed a close relationship with Dobson; he even coined the companys popular slogan, We build a bigger, better burger., Today, those oversized burgers and the promise of fresh ingredients generate annual sales of $1.8 billion, making Whataburger the thirty-third-largest restaurant chain in the countryand the second-largest founded and based in Texas, after Chilis. Franchisees and the parent company squabbled over products and promotions, and the once familial corporate culture deteriorated into an us-versus-them mentality. The very first WhataGames, the company's biennial burger Olympic competition for Team Members, was held.
Plane hit power line before crash near Edmonton that killed well-known Its competition is McDonalds and Wendys, not a boutique operation with three locations that offers grass-fed-bison burgers topped with arugula on a gluten-free bun. Thank God for his drunken partners actions which led him to leave the oil business, otherwise, we wouldnt get to experience the beloved food of Whataburger! The Dobson family and their extended Whataburger family rallied around and supported Grace as she took over the business. Try again later. 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. A student organization of St. Marys University of San Antonio, Texas, featuring scholarly research, writing, and media from students of all disciplines. The main reason for the move was for oil. The ceremony wasnt mere sentiment at work. The new CEO and president of Whataburger was Tom Dobson, the son of Harmon and Grace Dobson. Whataburger, which saw San Antonio as a key growth market, filed suit to block the sale. Always thinking bigger, the moment Whataburger began, Dobson and Burton were already seeking a possible second location in Houston. Its hard to ignore a burger that makes you say What a Burger!. In fact, people love representing Whataburger so much, they rush out to get the latest Whataburger swag: from Whataburger sunglasses to Whataburger sneakers, t-shirts, sweaters, and hats. It amazes me how many people talk about whataburger and that those burgers are probably the best they have ever tried because of their unique taste, but I have never tasted one.
List of fatalities from aviation accidents - Wikipedia Great article! 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. Shortly after arriving on campus, Harmon was called home to help with a family crisis. Fifty years after standing in line at the first Whataburger where he made friends with Grace Dobson, local businessmen Robert Adler was on hand earlier this year when his friend "Lady Grace" threw out the first pitch at the opening of Whataburger Field. He nearly lost a lot of money due to his drunk oil partners actions. Dobson then bounced around a lot after that work on the Suez Canal in Egypt, and then in Bahrain where he was in charge of a construction of a mess hall. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial.
Our Story TGFF Whataburger is bigger than all of those, and that may be the point. In 1953, Joe Andrews Sr. became the first franchise owner that was not one of the original founders, with a location in Alice, Texas. In exchange, his company got renewed assurances of its exclusive rights to develop stores in Bee, Jim Wells, and Webb counties and locked in a royalty rate lower than that assigned to other franchisees. Whataburgers Facebook page reached 1 million fans in 2013, just over a year after its launch. In 1934, Dobson started work as an apprentice ironworker, he later became a shipbuilder at the start of World War II. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. This venture led him to his destiny in the Lone Star State. So, Dobson, being a former pilot, used a Piper Sub Club plane to drop flyers and coupons to potential customers. Gender: Male Race or Ethnicity: White Occupation: Business Nationality: United States Executive summary: CEO of Whataburger Father: Harmon A. Dobson (Whataburger founder, d. 1967, plane crash) Mother: Grace (d. 1-Sep-2005) Brother: Hugh Sister: Lynne Whataburger President (1993-2007) Whataburger CEO (1993-) George W. Bush for President Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? New specialty items included the Whataburger Patty Melt and the Honey BBQ Chicken Strip Sandwich. [8] The crash killed Dobson and his business associate. Harmons parents, Hugh and Ethel, raised cattle and fed the family fresh beef, milk, and home-grown vegetables. [2] Dobson spent most of his early life working on his parents' cattle farm. Read more: 2 dead after small plane crashes near Thorsby: Alberta .
Two people killed in plane crash near Thorsby: RCMP Failed to remove flower. The likeness of Andrews, wearing a cowboy hat and mounted on a limestone pedestal, was commissioned to mark the sixtieth anniversary of the oldest franchise of the iconic Texas burger chain. Geographical origins Tragedy struck the Whataburger family in 1967 when a plane crash took the life of Harmon Dobson. 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. The Dobsons son, Tom, became Whataburgers chief executive in 1993. Despite the leadership turmoil, the two companies continued operating under the 1993 agreement for more than twenty years, and tensions seemed to have eased. 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. As a devout Whataburger customer this article was fascinating. However, news broke out in June 2019 that Whataburger sold a controlling interest in the company to Chicago- based investment banking firm BDT Capital.
Tom Harmon is Missing | University of Michigan Heritage Project 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. To plant trees in memory, please visit the. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. By the end of the decade, Harmon would open Whataburger #21 in Pensacola, Florida. Online ordering through Whataburgers app and website debuted in 2019. Whataburger had commissioned the "Flying W" company logo and had expanded to 40 locations in four states. Try again later. Try again later. The story of Dobson was well written here. Dobson even cut a deal with a local bakery to make special-sized buns; the Rainbo bakery had to search the country for a company that could make pans big enough to bake them. By 1965, it was estimated that Whataburger was selling 15,000 hamburgers a day. Andrews, a longtime friend of Whataburger founder Harmon Dobsons, wasnt simply the companys first franchisee, he was its most successful, opening dozens of locations in Texas and helping the chain build its reputation. However, Dobson was already looking to move on to bigger ventures. Little did he know that he was going to be the founder of an epic fast food restaurant. Once it was averted, Harmon began searching for a new path to success. Peterson resigned in 1993. A brief period of military camels in Texas became lost to even most history books. He wanted this burgers to be so delicious that it would make a person yell, What a burger! This inspired the naming of his company. The price of burgers was raised to 30 cents, and to Burtons chagrin, customers did not mind. The plane went up 100 feet off the runway and came straight back down. With his massive profits, he dabbled in oil speculation and mining diamonds in South America. In the summer of 1854, a destitute stowaway on a Texas-bound schooner was discovered and forced to work for his passage. These days, Whataburger doesnt seem so grateful. Dobson wrote about his success during the first couple of days Whataburger opened in his journal. Grief researchers say holding that missing funeral service, even a year or more later, can still help us heal. Grace Williamson and her 5-year-old son, Tom, rented a home owned by Dobsons brother Coy. Tagged With: Historical Figures, Legacies.
Statue of the Founder of Whataburger, Corpus Christi, Texas Tragedy struck the Whataburger family in 1967 when a plane crash took the life of Harmon Dobson. No major injuries were reported when a Boston-bound plane carrying more than 20 people struck a fence and erupted in flames while taking off at Houston Executive Airport on Tuesday morning,. His mother, Louise, and his sister, Kathy Reese, ran the business until Louise died, in 2005, leaving Reese in charge. Together, they raised three children: Hugh, Lynne and Tom. Be the first to post a memory or condolences.
Tom Dobson - NNDB Man dies after crashing his plane near U.S. 40.
Victim Dies of Injuries Sustained in Crash of Flight 232 The plane was bound for Love Field in Dallas when it went down at 5:16 P.M. according to Mitch Barket, a Federal Aviation Admistration spokesman. Im beginning to like it & the dollars too.11, By the spring of 1967, Whataburger had expanded to more than forty stores in sixteen Texas cities and four states since it had first opened in 1950. Oct 21, 2020, 9:31am PST. Under the leadership of Grace Dobson, the company thrived and grew. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. The burgers sold back then are the same as the original Whataburger that many Texans still love to today.
Family tree of Harmon Dobson - Geneastar This is a great article and very informative! Harmon Dobson founded this famous Texas hot spot in 1950. Eventually, more people came to eat the fresh, large burgers. Harmon's is not the only plane crash to go against the drop in accidents that the War Department are reporting. It was an instant success, and Harmon began to expand the business to other markets. The main reason for the move was for oil.
harmon dobson plane crash - volat-publicite.com The company also passed the 500-store threshold, making it the nation's eighth-largest hamburger chain. The purpose of this is to explore expansion plans in the northern area of the United States while staying true to the brands message.15 Some of the brand messages can be found in The Whataburger Difference. The Whataburger Difference is what separates the company from every other competitor that they have and one of the five points of focus is to protect and serve the best products in the industry.16 With this said, hopefully Texans will stay true to the family brand as changes occur, which would surely make Dobson proud of how his company has grown. My name is Courtney Pena and I am from McAllen, Texas. Resend Activation Email. In 1969, Grace became chairman of the board. He charged a pricy 25 cents since the burgers were better quality than the competitors burgers. 200 RESTAURANTS AND GROWING. Lawrence Jagmin, of . The airplane operated on a flight from Stephenville-Ernest Harmon AFB, NL (YJT) to Terceira-Lajes AFB, Azores (TER). Unless you are experienced as an estate executor, you probably should hire an attorney. Neither Whataburger nor Whataburger of Alice would be what it is today without the other. BDT is a merchant bank that invests in family-owned companies.
10 Infamous US Plane Crashes | Smithsonian Channel - YouTube It has expanded in the Southwest United States with about 800 locations in ten states. "It was a friendship that grew and grew," Sheka said. He had $2500 to invest in the right deal involving oil, and eventually, he became partners with Henry Mode on an oil lease in Loving County, Texas.2 Yet, this investment did not lead to success. The main reason for the move was for oil. "I considered myself lucky to be a friend of Grace. Dobson was involved in the early growth of the franchise from 1950 until his death in an airplane crash in 1967. The meeting between Pierce and the rich soil of the coastal plains of Texas might have been destiny. Harmon Dobson died in a plane crash in 1967, and his widow, Grace (whose first date with Harmon was at Whataburger #3, in Corpus), ran things until the first outsider, Jim Peterson, took. It was also surprising to me that Whataburgers exists in other states. He nearly lost a lot of money due to his drunk oil partners actions. 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. (Dobson family members also may be ready to cash out.) September 23, 1952- I never expected anything like this. By Stefano Esposito and Sam Kelly. Dobson was raised in a small rural farming community of Cushman, Arkansas. Corpus Christi is going to miss Grace Dobson. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. You can always change this later in your Account settings. After her husband died, Grace Dobson surrounded herself with a management team, became chairwoman of the board and grew the business to more than 600 company-owned and franchised stores - and raised three children as a single parent. Their business completed the next day, on April 11, 1967, and the men were going back home. Earlier this year, Andrewss company, now run by his daughter, Kathy Andrews Reese, sued the restaurant chain, claiming that Whataburger had reneged on a 22-year-old agreement between the two companies. It consists of a grilled quarter-pound beef patty, fresh lettuce, four dill pickles, three slices of tomatoes, chopped onions, mustard and ketchup. This event coincided with the mass unemployment and hysteria that lasted throughout the following decade. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? 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. However, news broke out in June 2019 that Whataburger sold a controlling interest in the company to Chicago- based investment banking firm BDT Capital. He kicked off New Year's Day 1950 with a. So, Dobson, being a former pilot, used a Piper Sub Club plane to drop flyers and coupons to potential customers.
Montana family mourning loss of pilot | ParkRecord.com Harmon Dobson - Wikipedia Whataburger was doing well after its grand opening. "But through all of their giving and the charitable things that they did for the community and the state of Texas it glowed down on her anyway. I had no idea that the founder, Harmon Dobson, was not originally from here. The next year, we awarded more than $90 million in bonuses to our Family Members (what we call our employees) in thanks for their extraordinary service during the pandemic. Other publicly traded restaurant companies have made similar moves recently. The menu grew as well, with French fries and hot pies being added in 1962. Failed to delete memorial. Little did he know that he was going to be the founder of an epic fast food restaurant. He realized that he needed some creative marketing strategies to obtain new customers. Cant tell much yet.6, August 11, 1950- Nice day today $97. Known for: Co-founding Whataburger with . Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. September 23, 1952- I never expected anything like this. [4] Burton and Harmon decided that Burton would own the Whataburger franchises in San Antonio, Texas, while Harmon would own the rest of the company and its franchises. [4] Please reset your password. Really great article. Wow! Eventually, Jim Peterson became the new CEO, but he left a negative impact on the company.
Whatalife: Harmon Dobson, the Founder of Whataburger The burger chain has large hamburgers, skinny long fries, creamy milkshakes, and more. The two-seat aircraft crashed into a field north of Thorsby around 1:40 p.m., RCMP said in a Saturday evening news release. Eventually, Jim Peterson became the new CEO, but he left a negative impact on the company. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. 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: After all, kindness, compassion, and quality were principles Harmon and Grace worked to instill in their employees. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. This is a carousel with slides. [5][9], "Deep in the Heart: Whataburger's Long History of Success and Brand Identity", "Whatalife: Harmon Dobson, the Founder of Whataburger", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Harmon_Dobson&oldid=1103833486, This page was last edited on 11 August 2022, at 05:01. 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. 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. Harmon Dobson was the founder of WHATABURGER Inc. At the end of 1980, Whataburger opened its 300th restaurant. From the very start, Lady Grace saw to it that Whataburger gave back to the community. 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. 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.
Unique 30-foot-tall A-frame design spiked interest in Whataburger In short, Whataburger made it very plain that its position is that Whataburger never intended WOA would have the benefits that the 1993 Agreement clearly states that it does, the lawsuit says. But in April of that year, a plane accident cut short Harmon's life, leaving her with three . The children grew up working in the restaurants and are still a part of what makes Whataburger great today. The meat and vegetables were always fresh, never frozen. Grace Dobson, also known as Lady Grace, is the famous face behind the Whataburger empire. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Today, Whataburger is a billion-dollar industry, all because of the efforts of Whataburgers saving Grace. Otherwise, it wouldnt approve any new sites for WOA. It was fascinating to see that the burger/fast food chain that Dobson created (along with other people) would end up becoming the most notable food item in Texas. The location of the first Whataburger was 2609 Ayers Street, across from Del Mar College in Corpus Christi. In February 1955, Coy passed away, and Dobson and Grace turned to each other for comfort. He wanted this burgers to be so delicious that it would make a person yell, What a burger! This inspired the naming of his company. Cant tell much yet.6, August 11, 1950- Nice day today $97. Today Whataburger has over 800 stores in ten states serving up Harmon Dobsons original Whataburger. Great job on your article Courtney! I always found it kind of weird that Whataburger has mostly been a Texas obsession and it amazes me that when they expanded to Memphis and Las Vegas, business declined. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16533251/harmon-archibald-dobson. So proud & so tired.17. The beloved Nickel Mugnow a classic piece of Americanadebuted as a promotion which was supposed to last 1-year but ended up running for 14. Dobson revealed that in Fast Food magazine in 1957 that flying over a Whataburger in Bryan, Texas led to more customers buying burgers. Franchisees also sued over a mandatory rebate plan, which WOA claims amounted to forcing vendors to pay illegal rebates, kickbacks, and bribes to Whataburger and its executives. Before the Whataburger, the typical burger was a White Castle slider, a two-ounce beef patty on a 2-inch bun. Harmon never lived to see his shack become a regional burger empire; he died in a plane crash in 1967. Sorry! However, early on Burton and Dobson found that their differing business philosophies were undeniable. Theres no question that Whataburger, if managed properly in the public market, could deliver a significant return, he says. The purpose of this is to explore expansion plans in the northern area of the United States while staying true to the brands message.15 Some of the brand messages can be found in The Whataburger Difference. The Whataburger Difference is what separates the company from every other competitor that they have and one of the five points of focus is to protect and serve the best products in the industry.16 With this said, hopefully Texans will stay true to the family brand as changes occur, which would surely make Dobson proud of how his company has grown. This attention to detail likely led to Whataburger receiving $50 in purchases on their first day.5. The Andrews family refused and in March filed its suit, asking a judge to order Whataburger to abide by the 1993 agreement. In the midst of this turmoil, Andrews, who decades earlier had been given exclusive rights to Bexar, Bee, Jim Wells, and Webb counties, decided in 1990 to sell his San Antonio franchises to an outside buyer, in order to better focus on the South Texas market. Published by Corpus-Christi Caller-Times on Sep. 3, 2005. Most people thought Grace Dobson would sell her rapidly growing hamburger business after her husband died in a private plane crash in 1967. . [4] In 1962, the company introduced French fries and hot pies to its menu. After the Second World War ended, Harmon settled on buying used cars, which became profitable. Thanks for your help! The best poems for funerals, memorial services., and cards. We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time. Months later, Harmon raised the prices for burgers to 35 cents. At 4:28 p.m, the plane took off, but, unfortunately, something went wrong. The first drive-thru was installed in 1971. They really caught on early to the adage that pioneers get slaughtered and settlers get the land, he says. We still greet our customers with a smile 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 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. More than seven decades ago, an adventurous and determined entrepreneur named Harmon Dobson had a bold idea: to serve a burger so big that it took two hands to hold, and so good that after a single bite customers couldn't help but exclaim, What a burger! He named his humble burger stand, located on Ayers Street in Corpus Christi, Texas, Whataburger.. 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. Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love. Were not making much profit but at least they are going fast for our product.7, August 12, 1950- Big Day 141.80 What a workhouse 551 hamburgers.8, Dobson realized the presentation of his burgers mattered. There was an error deleting this problem. They were finally recovered earlier this month after five months of rescue attempts. Search above to list available cemeteries. I had no idea that the founder of Whataburger started in the oil business! The new CEO and president of Whataburger was Tom Dobson, the son of Harmon and Grace Dobson. Boasting 6,000 square feet, stunning water views and a life-size bronze likeness of Harmon Dobson, this flagship restaurant is a fitting tribute to an amazing man. Dobson faced financial challenges. Later, he went to Egypt and worked on the Suez Canal.
Harmon Archibald Dobson (1913-1967) - Find a Grave Memorial The burgers were always cooked exactly how the customer wanted them to be. harmon dobson plane crash. Whataburger Field, home of the Corpus Christi Hooks celebrated a ground-breaking ceremony with Grace throwing out the first pitch. In August, they opened their first location on Ayers Street in Corpus Christi, Texas, across the street from Del Mar College. By 1949, Dobson was done with diamonds and began searching for a safe place to land. 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. Online ordering through Whataburgers app and website debuted in 2019. 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. Little did he know that he was going to be the founder of an epic fast food restaurant. Piloting a B-25 bomber, Harmon was flying with five other men through a thunderstorm when the plane's right wing tore away.