It hurts the brand ultimately.. Two die after small plane crashes in field southwest of Edmonton 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 over in the early seventies. The pragmatic Lady Grace rolled up her sleeves and got to work, teaching her children the family business along the way. Neither Whataburger nor Whataburger of Alice would be what it is today without the other. Harmon Archibald Dobson [1] was an American entrepreneur best known as one of the founders of the fast food chain Whataburger. By 1949, Dobson was done with diamonds and began searching for a safe place to land. The best poems for funerals, memorial services., and cards. Perhaps the Depression stuck with young Harmon because food was important to him long after tough economic times had ended. This was interesting article especially since it was about a burger that is highly famous here in Texas. Harmon Dobson founded this famous Texas hot spot in 1950. Harmon Dobson, a "young entrepreneur" who made his start in life shipbuilding, oil drilling and diamond training, was the man behind the burgers. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. Since his businesses were now at different locations, Harmon figured it was wise to visit them by plane. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Ben Cauley survived the crash and James Alexander was not on the plane. 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,. David Kessler's top 4 tips for dealing with holiday grief. We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time. Family members linked to this person will appear here. 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. Eventually, Jim Peterson became the new CEO, but he left a negative impact on the company. Whatalife: Harmon Dobson, the Founder of Whataburger ), 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. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. 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. In the 21st century, it's not just urns and gravestones anymore. The children grew up working in the restaurants and are still a part of what makes Whataburger great today. 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. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. [8] The crash killed Dobson and his business associate. This was a very interesting story to tell! Despite the leadership turmoil, the two companies continued operating under the 1993 agreement for more than twenty years, and tensions seemed to have eased. Really great article. Man dies after crashing his plane near U.S. 40. You can count real friends on one hand. AKA Thomas E. Dobson. Try again later. In February 1955, Coy passed away, and Dobson and Grace turned to each other for comfort. The airplane operated on a flight from Stephenville-Ernest Harmon AFB, NL (YJT) to Terceira-Lajes AFB, Azores (TER). They really caught on early to the adage that pioneers get slaughtered and settlers get the land, he says. Geographical origins Dobson was involved in the early growth of the franchise from 1950 until his death in an airplane crash in 1967. Dobson wanted to increase the price of a burgerfrom 25 to 30 cents. In addition to that, Dobson sold chips and a cold drink with the burger. Published by Corpus-Christi Caller-Times on Sep. 3, 2005. In June 1950, Dobson was granted the Whataburger name trademark. Sorry! The '70s was a decade of Whataburger milestones. 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. 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 the summer of 1854, a destitute stowaway on a Texas-bound schooner was discovered and forced to work for his passage. Because of World War II, auto manufacturing plants had been repurposed to produce wartime products. 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. Whatalife: Harmon Dobson, the Founder of Whataburger He nearly lost a lot of money due to his drunk oil partners actions. The ceremony wasnt mere sentiment at work. Yet despite its success, Whataburgers history has included some setbacks. "She was a very shy woman, who didn't want the limelight," Adler said Friday. "It was a friendship that grew and grew," Sheka said. So, Dobson, being a former pilot, used a Piper Sub Club plane to drop flyers and coupons to potential customers. This venture led him to his destiny in the Lone Star State. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. 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. Even the grandchildren work at Whataburger and attend company meetings. Ive always associated Whataburger with Texas and learning more about an integral part of Texan culture was enjoyable. 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. 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. It was such a smart marketing move to drop flyers, coupons, and carry a Whataburger banner in the air. He died when his private plane, a Cessna Skymaster, crashed shortly after takeoff. 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 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. 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. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Lawrence Jagmin, of . I am an English & Communication Arts major at St. Marys University. And never forgetting where we started. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Great article! Funeral services are at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 3151 Reid Drive. The Crash of United Flight 232 - Popular Mechanics The Andrews family refused and in March filed its suit, asking a judge to order Whataburger to abide by the 1993 agreement. For many years the Andrews family has been instrumental to Whataburgers success. Dobson and Burton's goal was to make a burger that took two hands to hold and that tasted good. She was infuriated that people were telling her to sell off her husbands dream and just enjoy the money. [3][2], In 1955, Harmon married Grace Williamson, a widow with a five-year-old son. In the early years, Graces oldest son, Tom, enjoyed helping Harmon make the root beer at Whataburger. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. 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. In June Dallas-based Brinker International, which owns Chilis and Maggianos Little Italy, unveiled a plan to buy franchises to boost earnings. It consists of a grilled quarter-pound beef patty, fresh lettuce, four dill pickles, three slices of tomatoes, chopped onions, mustard and ketchup. I'm going to miss her, too." In 2020, Whataburgers 70th anniversary year, curbside pickup and delivery options launched, the companys first food truck was unveiled, and our first new large-unit prototype opened. Thats what made me mad, made me want to fight, Grace told biographers. Dobson, an Arkansas native, married Harmon Dobson in . 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 Dobson family and their extended Whataburger family rallied around and supported Grace as she took over the business. 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. Harmon Dobson | Military Wiki | Fandom In our eighth decade, we entered new markets including Kansas City, Nashville, and Colorado Springs, expanding our restaurant footprint to 14 states. There is even a Whataburger race car and a Whataburger field in Corpus Christi that hosts a minor league baseball team. 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. In 1952 Andrews, who lived in Alice, brought his family to eat at the Kingsville branch and was so impressed that he contacted Dobson about buying a franchise. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Its a brand built on pride, care, and love. After the Second World War ended, Harmon settled on buying used cars, which became profitable. On April 11, 1967, Dobson and an associate died in an airplane crash, and Dobson's widow, Grace, took control of the business. Born:? If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. [4], Dobson and Burton business venture was short lived when their partnership ended 1951 because of a dispute over Dobson's price raise of the burger from 25 to 30 cents. Ways to honor Grace Dobson's life and legacy. These days, Whataburger doesnt seem so grateful. He nearly lost a lot of money due to his drunk oil partners actions. 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. 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. Whataburger is bigger than all of those, and that may be the point. 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. Along the way she made lifelong friends, including Bill Sheka Sr., 83, who knew her for 50 years. He charged a pricy 25 cents since the burgers were better quality than the competitors burgers. Its not surprising that people might want a bigger piece of that pie.. However, Dobson found success to be lonely. Their family complete, the Dobsons embarked on the happy, golden age of Whataburger. 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. They were finally recovered earlier this month after five months of rescue attempts. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. 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. Please try again later. This event coincided with the mass unemployment and hysteria that lasted throughout the following decade. 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. 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. 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. Written by: Rebecca Canfield | Photos Courtesy of: Whataburger. Grace Dobson Obituary (2005) - Corpus Christi, TX - Corpus-Christi Amanda's Corpus Christi History: Plane Crash - Blogger Ricky Nelson and Six Others Die As Their Plane Crashes in Texas in 2013. The burgers sold back then are the same as the original Whataburger that many Texans still love to today. 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. They have jalapeo eating contests, giveaways, and appearances from the company mascot, Whataguy. At the end of 1980, Whataburger opened its 300th restaurant. 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. Always thinking bigger, the moment Whataburger began, Dobson and Burton were already seeking a possible second location in Houston. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Piloting a B-25 bomber, Harmon was flying with five other men through a thunderstorm when the plane's right wing tore away. 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. Be the first to post a memory or condolences. So proud & so tired.17. harmon dobson plane crash. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. The story of Dobson was well written here. Verify and try again. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Otherwise, it wouldnt approve any new sites for WOA. 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.. As a devout Whataburger customer this article was fascinating. Dobson's journey started when he left Arkansas for Texas in 1950. 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. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. In 1953 , Joe Andrews received the first Whataburger franchise, and business was booming. Its hard to ignore a burger that makes you say What a Burger!. During the early 1990s, profits declined as new items such as popcorn shrimp, salads, and steak sandwiches were added to the menu. In addition to a legacy of giving, Lady Grace made sure to instill her children with hard work and Whataburger values. His friend and associate, Andrew Sneed was also killed. Oops, we were unable to send the email. A brief period of military camels in Texas became lost to even most history books. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. On April 10, 1967, Dobson needed to fly to Beaumont, Texas for business and wanted someone to come along with him. Dobson revealed that in Fast Food magazine in 1957 that flying over a Whataburger in Bryan, Texas led to more customers buying burgers. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. The burgers were always cooked exactly how the customer wanted them to be. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. The plane was making unusual noises and was rumored to be having engine trouble. Dobson was involved in the early growth of the franchise from 1950 until his death in an airplane crash in 1967. 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. Cant tell much yet.6, August 11, 1950- Nice day today $97. The plane, a Harmon Rocket, caught fire following the crash. [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. Whatabattle! - Texas Monthly 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. Born in 1913 in Wayne, Oklahoma, Harmon Dobson was raised in the rural farming community of Cushman, Arkansas. Thanks for your help! Eventually, more people came to eat the fresh, large burgers. Whataburgers Facebook page reached 1 million fans in 2013, just over a year after its launch. 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. January 1, 1950- I think this will be an eventful year for me.1. 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. harmon dobson plane crash. Dobson and Burton scouted out several locations for their big burger venture before settling on Corpus Christi. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Dobsons journey started when he left Arkansas for Texas in 1950. Harmon Dobson was born in 1913 in Wayne, Oklahoma, to Hugh and Ethel Dobson. He flew to Texas to scout out the oil and auto possibilities in places like Witchita Falls, Dallas, and Houston. 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. Together, they raised three children: Hugh, Lynne and Tom. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Today, in 2019, it has been 69 years since the first Whataburger opened up. Contents 1 Early life 2 Whataburger 3 Death 4 References Early life After the settlement, the leadership of both companies changed. They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel. based on information from your browser. The menu grew as well, with French fries and hot pies being added in 1962. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Harmon Dobson (16533251)? He kicked off New Year's Day 1950 with a.
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