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It is a place that feels like home to more than 50,000 employees, called Family Members, and millions of customers. harmon dobson plane crash. Their family complete, the Dobsons embarked on the happy, golden age of Whataburger. We still greet our customers with a smile 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It was the first Whataburger restaurant outside the state of Texas. Dobson agreed, and the Alice store opened a year later. Little did he know that he was going to be the founder of an epic fast food restaurant. Harmons parents, Hugh and Ethel, raised cattle and fed the family fresh beef, milk, and home-grown vegetables. 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. Failed to delete memorial. 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. Private burial will be in Seaside Memorial Park. I have heard that Whataburger is from Texas but I was never completely sure. Eventually, Jim Peterson became the new CEO, but he left a negative impact on the company. At 4:28 p.m, the plane took off, but, unfortunately, something went wrong. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. So proud & so tired.17. 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. Whats Up With All the Kangaroos on the Loose in Texas? Burton wanted to cut back on the product, convinced that customers would not pay that much. They are memories Sheka said he will treasure. 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. And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. When everyone told Grace to just let go, the love of her husband and the desire to honor a promise propelled her forward into uncharted territory as she fought to keep the Whataburger legacy alive. By 1960, Whataburger stores had expanded and were operating across Texas, Florida, and Tennessee. Whataburger is bigger than all of those, and that may be the point. The burgers were always cooked exactly how the customer wanted them to be. The Whataburger Jr. was added to the menu, as were jalapeos and onion rings. This tiny burger stand offered something people had never seen: a burger that was so big, they had to hold its five-inch bun with two hands. On August 8, 2000, Whataburger proudly celebrated its 50th anniversary with 575 restaurants in operation and millions of fans all over the country. The number of locations doubled to more than 200 restaurants. Although he missed college, Harmon was determined to make his way in the world. 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. I never knew that Dobsons initial intent was to try and strike oil here in Texas. Tragedy struck the Whataburger family in 1967 when a plane crash took the life of Harmon Dobson. 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. Dobson was involved in the early growth of the franchise from 1950 until his death in an airplane crash in 1967. It was also surprising to me that Whataburgers exists in other states. However, after only four months, Dobson grew restless and returned to the U.S. By August of that year, he returned home. It consists of a grilled quarter-pound beef patty, fresh lettuce, four dill pickles, three slices of tomatoes, chopped onions, mustard and ketchup. The plane went up 100 feet off the runway and came straight back down. Great article! And a new building design, which retained the spirit of the original A-frame, was unveiled. Harmon Dobson founded this famous Texas hot spot in 1950. We still use 100% pure, never-frozen beef and serve it on a big, toasted five-inch bun. The entire crew bailed out, with Harmon parachuting into a jungle. 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. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Whataburger founder Harmon Dobson stands in front of his first . I thought you might like to see a memorial for Harmon Archibald Dobson I found on Findagrave.com. 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. The All-Time Favorites menu, featuring four of the most loved specialty sandwiches from over the years, made its debut and was greeted enthusiastically by Whataburger fans. Following that, the adventurous Dobson traveled to Bahrain in the Persian Gulf to help build a refinery. Expand the Memories and Condolences form. There was a festive atmosphere in first class that. 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. The exterior of the original Burger Boy restaurant at 2323 N. St. Mary's. Chuck Blount / Staff Show More Show Less 2 of 6. For Adler, the name on the stadium and the ball-throwing honor were small tributes to a woman he thought the world of. Cant tell much yet.6, August 11, 1950- Nice day today $97. I am an English & Communication Arts major at St. Marys University. 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. They really caught on early to the adage that pioneers get slaughtered and settlers get the land, he says. The very first WhataGames, the company's biennial burger Olympic competition for Team Members, was held. 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. Other publicly traded restaurant companies have made similar moves recently. 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. I didnt know the history of Whataburger was so interesting. Fowler died after the Harmon Rocket plane he was piloting went down in a field northwest of Thorsby, Alta., on Saturday afternoon. He started his first establishment in 1950 as a large "wooden box" stand. If youre in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist. Harmon Dobson founded this famous Texas hot spot in 1950. The brand really is tied to both of these families, Hartmann says. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? So proud & so tired.17. Online ordering through Whataburgers app and website debuted in 2019. David Kessler's top 4 tips for dealing with holiday grief. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. The Dobsons son, Tom, became Whataburgers chief executive in 1993. However, Dobson found success to be lonely. 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. The burgers sold back then are the same as the original Whataburger that many Texans still love to today. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. Mary Lynne and Hugh are both members of the board of directors. If they cant settle their differences, its not clear where theyll be tomorrow. She lived simply and seldom spent the Whataburger money, aside from the many charities to which she contributed. Oct 21, 2020, 9:31am PST. It was very smart of Dobson to drop flyers and coupons to potential customers so that his business to boom even more. But thats a tough needle to thread for a company that has developed intense customer loyalty because of its down-home, noncorporate image. However, early on Burton and Dobson found that their differing business philosophies were undeniable. The war was over, and his adventure had ended. This is a great article and very informative! In 2001, the 77th Texas Legislature officially recognized what Texans had known for more than 50 years: Whataburger is a designated a Texas Treasure.' 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. Some people are legendary because of what they have done, but others and perhaps the most important ones, are legendary because of who they are. 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. . Thanks for your help! August 20, 1989. The young man would go on to amass a fortune in land and cattle, not far from where he first disembarked. 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. 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. 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. Looking for a more secure venture, Dobson met and partnered with Paul Burton. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Contents 1 Early life 2 Whataburger 3 Death 4 References Early life 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. The All-Time Favorites menu, featuring four of the most loved specialty sandwiches from over the years, made its debut and was greeted enthusiastically by Whataburger fans. Resend Activation Email. 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. BDT is a merchant bank that invests in family-owned companies. During the early 1990s, profits declined as new items such as popcorn shrimp, salads, and steak sandwiches were added to the menu. January 1, 1950- I think this will be an eventful year for me.1. Dobson wrote about his success during the first couple of days Whataburger opened in his journal. During Hurricane Harvey, Whataburger rallied around the Corpus Christi community and quickly began rebuilding and fundraising efforts. Dobson's journey started when he left Arkansas for Texas in 1950. Whataburger proposed breaking the stalemate by approving the Laredo location only if Reese agreed to relinquish its lower royalty rate and give Whataburger veto power over all site selections, the lawsuit claims. By Stefano Esposito and Sam Kelly. 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. Its so interesting that he aimed to create a burger that would require hands to hold it. In 1955, Harmon married Grace Williamson. Fire Ants Have Unleashed Chaos in Texas for Decades. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. 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. New menu additions soon followed, including the Breakfast On A Bun, Whatachick'nand the now-famous breakfast Taquitos. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. The meat and vegetables were always fresh, never frozen. 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. Together, they raised three children: Hugh, Lynne and Tom. 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. GREAT NEWS! In June Dallas-based Brinker International, which owns Chilis and Maggianos Little Italy, unveiled a plan to buy franchises to boost earnings. 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. After hearing from a friend in Houston that Texas was teeming with both cars and oil, Dobson, whose business ventures now had him traveling halfway across the U.S., purchased a private plane and learned to fly it. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Dobson faced financial challenges. Wikipedia. Many Texans still love and appreciate the food at this Texas treasure. Months later, Harmon raised the prices for burgers to 35 cents. His friend and associate, Andrew Sneed was also killed. There is even a Whataburger race car and a Whataburger field in Corpus Christi that hosts a minor league baseball team. 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. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. The golden age of drive-ins and American automobiles was just getting started back on August 8, 1950, when Harmon Dobson opened Whataburger #1. Te damos 5 razones para no perderte el Buffalo Ranch Chicken Strip Sandwich y la Buffalo Ranch Chicken Salad. He felt like the burgers at Dairy King were too small and wanted to build a really big burger, calling it the Whataburger. The Dobson family and their extended Whataburger family rallied around and supported Grace as she took over the business. On August 8, 1950, the first Whataburger opened at 2609 Ayers Street. However, Dobson was already looking to move on to bigger ventures. An opportunity arose when Harmon discovered a niche in the auto industry. The Andrews family has been very special to Whataburger through the years, said Whataburgers corporate chief, Preston Atkinson, during the ceremony. Whataburgers Facebook page reached 1 million fans in 2013, just over a year after its launch. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Known for: Co-founding Whataburger with . Read more: 2 dead after small plane crashes near Thorsby: Alberta . Born:? He realized that he needed some creative marketing strategies to obtain new customers. Shocked and saddened, the Whataburger family gathered around Lady Grace to comfort her and her three children in the wake of the tragedy. 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,. As a standard for mythical tall tales and legends, it comes as no surprise that Texas holds the national corner on stories of lost treasure. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. 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. Today, in 2019, it has been 69 years since the first Whataburger opened up. She threw out the ball at the field right before she got really sick. 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. She did not like to drive, so for years he picked her up and drove her to monthly USO meetings. This plane was easy to spot as it towed a Whataburger banner in the air and blared its duck-like airhorn.9, After every flight, business would do well. Serving it hot and fresh, 24/7. Learn more about managing a memorial . Their business completed the next day, on April 11, 1967, and the men were going back home. He died when his private plane, a Cessna Skymaster, crashed shortly after takeoff. Angel was a bit more adventurous than Dobson, though both crashed several times in Africa while mining for diamonds. 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. We have set your language to You can count real friends on one hand. [8] The crash killed Dobson and his business associate. In 1934, Dobson started work as an apprentice ironworker, he later became a shipbuilder at the start of World War II. In addition to that, Dobson sold chips and a cold drink with the burger. Whataburger is more than a burger chain. Whataburger Field, home of the Corpus Christi Hooks celebrated a ground-breaking ceremony with Grace throwing out the first pitch. In 2012, though, Tom Dobson relinquished his CEO duties to Atkinson, a former contractor who started building Whataburger restaurants in 1986 and then joined the company in 1998. 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. 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. With time, they started to expand more outside Texas because Texans gave this restaurant a gold star. ), When most Whataburger customers walk into the restaurant, they have no idea if the place they are eating at is a franchise or a corporate-owned branch. When he opened the first stand, on Ayers Street in Corpus Christi, he envisioned selling a burger big enough that it would take two hands to hold it. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. 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. September 23, 1952- I never expected anything like this. 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. The burger chain has large hamburgers, skinny long fries, creamy milkshakes, and more. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. So, he brought along Johnny Sneed, who was working with a Whataburger franchise in Victoria, Texas. To offer your sympathy during this difficult time, you can now have memorial trees planted in a National Forest in memory of your loved one. 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. Failed to remove flower. Online ordering through Whataburgers app and website debuted in 2019. Because of World War II, auto manufacturing plants had been repurposed to produce wartime products. It isnt a small business anymore, and to keep ahead of the competition, it may have to start acting its size. This is such a great topic! He died when his private plane, a Cessna Skymaster, crashed shortly after takeoff. A student organization of St. Marys University of San Antonio, Texas, featuring scholarly research, writing, and media from students of all disciplines. 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. They have jalapeo eating contests, giveaways, and appearances from the company mascot, Whataguy. Perhaps the Depression stuck with young Harmon because food was important to him long after tough economic times had ended. Whataburger Fancy Ketchup, Spicy Ketchup and Original Mustard became available at H-E-B stores and online at. Also on the board were Sam W. Main who was vice president, Laneil Andert who was secretary, Ray F. Miller who was treasurer, and Roscoe Smith and Tom E. Dobson as board members.13 During this time, Grace usually avoided the spotlight, but she attended almost every company event.