He died when his private plane, a Cessna Skymaster, crashed shortly after takeoff. And while we now serve hot, fresh food at more than 890 Whataburgers across the country, that burger stand in Corpus Christi is never far from our hearts. In 2001, the 77th Texas Legislature officially recognized what Texans had known for more than 50 years: Whataburger is a designated a Texas Treasure.' It was very smart of Dobson to drop flyers and coupons to potential customers so that his business to boom even more. New Year's Day, 1950, Harmon Dobson, a sometime bush pilot, diamond courier, and automobile dealer, wrote in his journal: . In 1942, Dobson went to North Africa to do work on pipefitting scrapyard work, and cable rigging for Bell Telephone Company. In 1956 and 1957, respectively, they had a daughter named Mary Lynne and a son named Hugh Carlton. BDT Capital Partners acquired a majority interest in Whataburger and Ed Nelson was promoted to President in 2019. I had over 5000 dollars invested in a drilling deal in Loving County, Texas, and on May 18 almost lost the whole thing through his drinking by fouling up a deal only two days before the money would have been forfeited Am now interested in financing Paul Burton, a hamburger expert, in some small specialized hamburger joints somewhere in Texas. Learning about Dobsons history was interesting as well, I didnt know that he had originally started out attempting to capitalize on the oil industry. They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel. Following that, he worked at the New York Shipbuilding Company, which, at the time, was the worlds largest boat-builder for the U.S. Navy. In addition to a legacy of giving, Lady Grace made sure to instill her children with hard work and Whataburger values. And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. Two summers ago, with the South Texas sun beating down, a group of civic leaders gathered in front of the Whataburger on Main Street in Alice to unveil a bust of the late Joe Andrews Sr. Joe Andrews Sr. died in 1999, and his son, Joe Jr., took overand then died suddenly three years later while attending a Whataburger conference in New Orleans. Peterson resigned in 1993. Whataburger has been highly successful in a very competitive market, says Stephen Barth, a professor of law and leadership at the University of Houstons Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. He attributes that success to Whataburgers prudent approach to growth, training, and customer service. Eventually, Jim Peterson became the new CEO, but he left a negative impact on the company. The burgers were always cooked exactly how the customer wanted them to be. Yet, I find it insane that Dobson died so tragically and unexpectedly before he could see his fast food chain truly flourish and gain a big following from many Texans and others from different states. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. AKA Thomas E. Dobson. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. This event coincided with the mass unemployment and hysteria that lasted throughout the following decade. Harmon Archibald Dobson (1913-1967) - Find a Grave Memorial Harmon Dobson was the founder of WHATABURGER Inc. Food has always been a go-to for people in mourning. 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. This was a very interesting story to tell! Grace Williamson and her 5-year-old son, Tom, rented a home owned by Dobsons brother Coy. Unique 30-foot-tall A-frame design spiked interest in Whataburger Thomas Mark Harmon, 50, of Laurel, Mont., died at the scene Monday after crashing his small plane . 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. Five of the crew died while waiting, and the remaining seven . DeLaughters Is the Little Grocery Store That Could, The Daughter of a Barbecue Family Takes Tradition in a New Direction, The Old Orange Cafe Is a Piece of Local History, Gen Zs Homemade Tortillas Could Use an Upgrade. The meeting between Pierce and the rich soil of the coastal plains of Texas might have been destiny. 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. By 1960, Whataburger had 17 restaurants. According to the lawsuit, Reese met with Atkinson, who told her that despite the agreement, Whataburger didnt believe it was obligated to approve new sites and that it could veto any sites that the franchisee selected. Even the grandchildren work at Whataburger and attend company meetings. 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. The first drive-thru was installed in 1971. 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. Drag images here or select from your computer for Harmon Archibald Dobson memorial. Ford Heights plane crash: Small plane crashes near I-394 and Lincoln https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16533251/harmon-archibald-dobson. Also, Whataburger expanded to places such as Las Vegas and Memphis, where the company was unknown, leading to a lack of customers purchasing food. 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. By the late eighties the company had begun to lose its way. Lawrence Jagmin, of Frankfort, crashed Tuesday evening near Illinois 394 and Lincoln Highway in Ford Heights. 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. 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. Four of six Bar-Kays members died: Ronnie Caldwell, Phalon Jones, Jimmy King and Carl Cunningham. By 1960, Whataburger stores had expanded and were operating across Texas, Florida, and Tennessee. Private burial will be in Seaside Memorial Park. I'm going to miss her, too." Ive always enjoyed eating the food there and its a top 3 fast food chain for me. Harmons parents, Hugh and Ethel, raised cattle and fed the family fresh beef, milk, and home-grown vegetables. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? We still use 100% pure, never-frozen beef and serve it on a big, toasted five-inch bun. (Dobson remains as chairman.) Dobson agreed, and the Alice store opened a year later. Expand the Memories and Condolences form. [8] The crash killed Dobson and his business associate. Its hard to ignore a burger that makes you say What a Burger!. Dan Solomon writes about politics, music, food, sports, criminal justice, health care, film, and business. harmon dobson plane crash - volat-publicite.com Leave them blank to get signed up. Whataburger was doing well after its grand opening. All three work hard to ensure that Whataburger never strays from their fathers original concept, which was to serve hungry people great food in a clean and friendly environment. 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. The price of burgers was raised to 30 cents, and to Burtons chagrin, customers did not mind. Today, more than seven-hundred of the distinctive orange and white WHATABURGER restaurants can be found in eleven states, and total more than $1billion is sales annually. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. This browser does not support getting your location. The case went to trial in 1993, but the two sides settled before the jury reached a verdict. Whatalife: Harmon Dobson, the Founder of Whataburger 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. Their family complete, the Dobsons embarked on the happy, golden age of Whataburger. It consists of a grilled quarter-pound beef patty, fresh lettuce, four dill pickles, three slices of tomatoes, chopped onions, mustard and ketchup. Dobson wrote about his success during the first couple of days Whataburger opened in his journal. However, Dobson found success to be lonely. David Kessler's top 4 tips for dealing with holiday grief. As a team, they expanded the Whataburger chain and had a family. After all, kindness, compassion, and quality were principles Harmon and Grace worked to instill in their employees. 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. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. The number of locations doubled to more than 200 restaurants. ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-124C Globemaster II 52-1062 Harmon was a stickler for cleanliness and very detailoriented, his sister LenaRae explained to biographer Greg Woolridge. 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. The Crash of United Flight 232 - Popular Mechanics Growing up during the onset of the Great Depression, the Dobson family had few resources, but plenty of food at a time when food meant everything. I was also unaware of its background nor founder Harmon Dobson. "It was a friendship that grew and grew," Sheka said. Treating our customers right. 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. So, he brought along Johnny Sneed, who was working with a Whataburger franchise in Victoria, Texas. By 1967, business was booming. 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 flew to Texas to scout out the oil and auto possibilities in places like Witchita Falls, Dallas, and Houston. The larger burgers that could be found back in the 1950s were served on 4-inch buns. However, after only four months, Dobson grew restless and returned to the U.S. By August of that year, he returned home. Under the leadership of Grace Dobson, the company thrived and grew. How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire, Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians, The Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints: 2021 Edition. in 2013. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love. From the very start, Lady Grace saw to it that Whataburger gave back to the community. [1] In 1971, the company opened its first drive-through store, and in 1972, it opened its 100th store. Each and every Whataburger is still made to orderwhen it's ordered. If youre in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist. But in April of that year, a plane accident cut short Harmon's life, leaving her with three . She threw out the ball at the field right before she got really sick. She is survived by two sons, Thomas and Hugh Dobson; a daughter, Lynne Dobson; three sisters, Lola Stettler, Louise Abbot and Jean Florie; and five grandchildren. Te damos 5 razones para no perderte el Buffalo Ranch Chicken Strip Sandwich y la Buffalo Ranch Chicken Salad. And it is crazy to think how it was once only 35 cents and burger and not they are like 4-5 bucks for the same burger that they sold back then. A system error has occurred. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). [4] 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. This was a very interesting story as I am always buying Whataburger and hear that is was once a family restaurant but never really took the time to read and learn about the story. Dobson wrote about this difficulty in his journal: Late May, 1950- Landed back in Midland April 21 to find that Henry Mode, my oil partner, had begun drinking again. I never knew that Dobsons initial intent was to try and strike oil here in Texas. 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. Thanks for your help! The prosperity lasted until 1967 when Dobson and his friend Gene Crane were killed in a plane crash in La Porte, where they had stopped to refuel. Try again. He purchased a frozen custard stand called Dairy King in Big Spring, Texas, and ran it for a few weeks to learn the business. However, Dobson was already looking to move on to bigger ventures.
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