Insiders still refer to this time in the companys history as the dead zone. Profits fell as the company overreached by opening stores in saturated markets like Las Vegas and adding menu items, like popcorn shrimp salad, that customers didnt want. Harmon Archibald Dobson (October 8, 1913 - April 11, 1967) [1] was an American entrepreneur best known as one of the founders of the fast food chain Whataburger. Tom Dobson - NNDB Known for: Co-founding Whataburger with . 1967 Press Photo Plane Crash Kill Harmon Dobson & Luther Sneed Most people thought Grace Dobson would sell her rapidly growing hamburger business after her husband died in a private plane crash in 1967. . The main reason for the move was for oil. Harmon Archibald Dobson (October 8, 1913 - April 11, 1967) [1] was an American entrepreneur best known as one of the founders of the fast food chain Whataburger. Learning about Dobsons history was interesting as well, I didnt know that he had originally started out attempting to capitalize on the oil industry. By the end of 1950, Dobson had quit both the oil and auto industries and made Whataburger his sole venture. In 1942, Dobson went to North Africa to do work on pipefitting scrapyard work, and cable rigging for Bell Telephone Company. Ben Cauley survived the crash and James Alexander was not on the plane. Tagged With: Historical Figures, Legacies. There is even a Whataburger race car and a Whataburger field in Corpus Christi that hosts a minor league baseball team. They werent in a hurry to expand, and they rarely if ever expanded outside their comfort zone and their target market.. Eventually, Jim Peterson became the new CEO, but he left a negative impact on the company. As one of the largest franchisees, WOA was hit particularly hard by this arrangement. The meeting between Pierce and the rich soil of the coastal plains of Texas might have been destiny. Peterson resigned in 1993. The number of locations doubled to more than 200 restaurants. This event coincided with the mass unemployment and hysteria that lasted throughout the following decade. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Try again. Whatabattle! - Texas Monthly His friend and associate, Andrew Sneed was also killed. The Harmon Rocket two-seat sport plane . 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. Under Reeses leadership, WOA repeatedly won the chains annual best franchise award. New menu additions soon followed, including the Breakfast On A Bun, Whatachick'nand the now-famous breakfast Taquitos. Numbers went from 600 to 950 burgers per day.10, August 4, 1951- Proud to be the beginning of what may be a lifelong business. Because of World War II, auto manufacturing plants had been repurposed to produce wartime products. Can College Sports Get More Absurd Than SMU Joining the Pac-12? In Reeses telling, the states most famous burger joint has become just another greedy corporate entity. In the early years, Graces oldest son, Tom, enjoyed helping Harmon make the root beer at Whataburger. The University of Houstons Barth says such changes arent unusual in a company that has grown to Whataburgers size. Man dies after crashing his plane near U.S. 40. However, after only four months, Dobson grew restless and returned to the U.S. By August of that year, he returned home. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. August 10, 1950- I came to Corpus Wed. Paul finally opened Tuesday [August 8] $50 first day, $79 yesterday & $62 today. Whataburger - Wikipedia The plane, a Harmon Rocket, caught fire following the crash. Piloting a B-25 bomber, Harmon was flying with five other men through a thunderstorm when the plane's right wing tore away. Harmon never lived to see his shack become a regional burger empire; he died in a plane crash in 1967. Lawrence Jagmin, of Frankfort, crashed Tuesday evening near Illinois 394 and Lincoln Highway in Ford Heights. Try again later. The story of Dobson was well written here. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. [2] Dobson spent most of his early life working on his parents' cattle farm. We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time. So, he brought along Johnny Sneed, who was working with a Whataburger franchise in Victoria, Texas. 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. 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. The Transportation Safety Board says a plane that crashed last year southwest of Edmonton killing the two people on board, had collided with a power line.. Police say the Harmon Rocket a two-seat sport plane caught fire after the crash, and both a man and a woman were found deceased inside the aircraft. Thats when they look at me through squinted eyes and really say, Yeah, Right!! Little did he know that he was going to be the founder of an epic fast food restaurant. 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. The Dobson family and their extended Whataburger family rallied around and supported Grace as she took over the business. . 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. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Two die after small plane crashes in field southwest of Edmonton Harmon Dobson was the founder of WHATABURGER Inc. Dobson and Burton's goal was to make a burger that took two hands to hold and that tasted good. It was such a smart marketing move to drop flyers, coupons, and carry a Whataburger banner in the air. AKA Thomas E. Dobson. Lady Grace and the Whataburger Legend - Texasliving And a new building design, which retained the spirit of the original A-frame, was unveiled. Four of six Bar-Kays members died: Ronnie Caldwell, Phalon Jones, Jimmy King and Carl Cunningham. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Harmon Dobson (16533251)? The two-seat aircraft crashed into a field north of Thorsby around 1:40 p.m., RCMP said in a Saturday evening news release. I love Whataburger and it is a Texas staple. 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. The main reason for the move was for oil. Fire Ants Have Unleashed Chaos in Texas for Decades. By 1960, Whataburger stores had expanded and were operating across Texas, Florida, and Tennessee. This event coincided with the mass unemployment and hysteria that lasted throughout the following decade. Try again later. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Although he missed college, Harmon was determined to make his way in the world. 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 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. In addition to a legacy of giving, Lady Grace made sure to instill her children with hard work and Whataburger values. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Everyone expected Grace, now twice widowed, to crumble, and they encouraged her to sell Whataburger. In November 1942, a B-17 bomber with a 12-man crew crashed into a Greenland ice cap. 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. Lawrence Jagmin, of . Eventually, more people came to eat the fresh, large burgers. This attention to detail likely led to Whataburger receiving $50 in purchases on their first day.5. Harmon Dobson - Wikiwand This attention to detail likely led to Whataburger receiving $50 in purchases on their first day.5. Try again later. It was the first Whataburger restaurant outside the state of Texas. Sadly, in 2005, Whataburger Family Members mourned the loss of Lady Grace as she was called by many. 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. The story begins in 1950, when Harmon Dobson, an Arkansas native, came to Texas with dreams of making it big in the oil business, but instead prospered in big burgers, opening the first Whataburger stand in Corpus Christi in August of that year. 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. To this day, giving is a huge part of the Whataburger dynasty. By Stefano Esposito and Sam Kelly. They really caught on early to the adage that pioneers get slaughtered and settlers get the land, he says. The burger chain has large hamburgers, skinny long fries, creamy milkshakes, and more. 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. 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. harmon dobson plane crash - volat-publicite.com However, over the years, Whataburger has become a legend in its own right. In 1956 and 1957, respectively, they had a daughter named Mary Lynne and a son named Hugh Carlton. Harmon Dobson - Wikipedia After World War II ended in 1945, Dobson returned home to his home state of Arkansas, where he worked buying and selling used cars. Great job on your article Courtney! I hope to become a successful journalist in the future. Andrews surrendered exclusivity to the San Antonio market and agreed to sell the existing San Antonio stores back to Whataburger. how privileged we are to have been in a partnership with you for this long.. This venture led him to his destiny in the Lone Star State. He flew to Texas to scout out the oil and auto possibilities in places like Witchita Falls, Dallas, and Houston. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. After he was killed in a plane crash in 1967, his wife, Grace, took . For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Months later, Harmon raised the prices for burgers to 35 cents. 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. They have jalapeo eating contests, giveaways, and appearances from the company mascot, Whataguy. Victim Dies of Injuries Sustained in Crash of Flight 232 The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. It was an instant success, and Harmon began to expand the business to other markets. Looking for a more secure venture, Dobson met and partnered with Paul Burton. Ricky Nelson and Six Others Die As Their Plane Crashes in Texas
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