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. It's surprising how much a musical selection can affect mourning. By The Canadian Press Sat., Sept. 26, 2020 You have funeral questions, we have answers. Resend Activation Email. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. Two years later, three Corpus Christi locations began operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, much to the delight of hungry patrons. Ive always enjoyed eating the food there and its a top 3 fast food chain for me. January 1, 1950- I think this will be an eventful year for me.1. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 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. Heisman Trophy winner turned airman found safe after 10 days in jungle It hurts the brand ultimately.. BDT is a merchant bank that invests in family-owned companies. I didnt know the history of Whataburger was so interesting. 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. He took jobs at the county fair and as an apprentice iron worker. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? By 1967, business was booming. In 1955, Harmon married Grace Williamson and they became Whataburger's First Couple. Together, they raised three children: Hugh, Lynne and Tom. 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. I had no idea that the founder, Harmon Dobson, was not originally from here. 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. By the end of 1950, Dobson had quit both the oil and auto industries and made Whataburger his sole venture. Failed to delete memorial. 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. Search above to list available cemeteries. Cant tell much yet.6, August 11, 1950- Nice day today $97. Es Cuaresma y Whataburger lo sabe: El Whatacatch, est de regreso! Whatalife: Harmon Dobson, the Founder of Whataburger The meeting between Pierce and the rich soil of the coastal plains of Texas might have been destiny. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Sorry! Harmon Archibald Dobson was an American entrepreneur best known as one of the founders of the fast food chain Whataburger. Tagged With: Historical Figures, Legacies. Dobson was involved in the early growth of the franchise from 1950 until his death in an airplane crash in 1967. Neither Whataburger nor Whataburger of Alice would be what it is today without the other. 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. "She was a very shy woman, who didn't want the limelight," Adler said Friday. Grace Dobson Obituary (2005) - Corpus Christi, TX - Corpus-Christi 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. He charged a pricy 25 cents since the burgers were better quality than the competitors burgers. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Fire Ants Have Unleashed Chaos in Texas for Decades. Great article! Harmon never lived to see his shack become a regional burger empire; he died in a plane crash in 1967. Along the way they talked about old times and old friends. I love Whataburger and it is a Texas staple. [6] According to witnesses, Dobson was apparently taking off in a steep climb when both engines on the plane failed at around 75 to 100 feet (23 to 30m) in the sky and then plummeted back into the ground. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. If youre in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist. Ford Heights plane crash: Small plane crashes near I-394 and Lincoln On April 10, 1967, Dobson needed to fly to Beaumont, Texas for business and wanted someone to come along with him. 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. The location of the first Whataburger was 2609 Ayers Street, across from Del Mar College in Corpus Christi. [2] Dobson spent most of his early life working on his parents' cattle farm. The Crash of United Flight 232 - Popular Mechanics The plane was making unusual noises and was rumored to be having engine trouble. He died when his private plane, a Cessna Skymaster, crashed shortly after takeoff. 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. 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. Theres no question that Whataburger, if managed properly in the public market, could deliver a significant return, he says. Little did he know that he was going to be the founder of an epic fast food restaurant. By 1960, Whataburger stores had expanded and were operating across Texas, Florida, and Tennessee. For some people, the best send-off is one that they would have loved to attendthemselves: a big party. The '70s was a decade of Whataburger milestones. New specialty items included the Whataburger Patty Melt and the Honey BBQ Chicken Strip Sandwich. Its a place people count on in their communities. BDT is a merchant bank that invests in family-owned companies. 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. 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. Make sure that the file is a photo. Whataburgers Facebook page reached 1 million fans in 2013, just over a year after its launch. Ricky Nelson and Six Others Die As Their Plane Crashes in Texas From the very start, Lady Grace saw to it that Whataburger gave back to the community. [4] In 1962, the company introduced French fries and hot pies to its menu. Most people thought Grace Dobson would sell her rapidly growing hamburger business after her husband died in a private plane crash in 1967. . Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. I think anyone who hasnt tried Whataburger definitely should because it is one of the best fast food places. Whataburger founder Harmon Dobson stands in front of his first . Drag images here or select from your computer for Harmon Archibald Dobson memorial. Online ordering through Whataburgers app and website debuted in 2019. Its a brand built on pride, care, and love. In Reeses telling, the states most famous burger joint has become just another greedy corporate entity. 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. 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. Grief researchers say holding that missing funeral service, even a year or more later, can still help us heal. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. By 1960, Whataburger had 17 restaurants. David Kessler's top 4 tips for dealing with holiday grief. Lawrence Jagmin, of Frankfort, crashed Tuesday evening near Illinois 394 and Lincoln Highway in Ford Heights. Try again later. So, he brought along Johnny Sneed, who was working with a Whataburger franchise in Victoria, Texas. The new CEO and president of Whataburger was Tom Dobson, the son of Harmon and Grace Dobson. Harmon Dobson - Google Search Cant tell much yet.6, August 11, 1950- Nice day today $97. The Dobson family and their extended Whataburger family rallied around and supported Grace as she took over the business. In the 21st century, it's not just urns and gravestones anymore. I hope to become a successful journalist in the future. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. January 1, 1950- I think this will be an eventful year for me.1. Each and every Whataburger is still made to orderwhen it's ordered. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Harmon Dobson was the founder of WHATABURGER Inc. 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. It consists of a grilled quarter-pound beef patty, fresh lettuce, four dill pickles, three slices of tomatoes, chopped onions, mustard and ketchup. There is a problem with your email/password. The Dobsons son, Tom, became Whataburgers chief executive in 1993. Peterson resigned in 1993. [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. Ben Cauley survived the crash and James Alexander was not on the plane. 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. 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. The company also passed the 500-store threshold, making it the nation's eighth-largest hamburger chain. There was a festive atmosphere in first class that. 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. Great job on your article Courtney! Unfortunately, Coy was protective of Grace and had warned her about dating his unsettled, gallivanting brother. Through the years, she also served in numerous philanthropic capacities including working for the USO, Coastal Bend Youth City, the Kidney Foundation and the Texas State Aquarium. I never knew anything about the man who created it and i found it hilarious that he wanted people to say what a burger! 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. By the end of the decade, Harmon would open Whataburger #21 in Pensacola, Florida. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Today Whataburger has over 800 stores in ten states serving up Harmon Dobsons original Whataburger. Victim Dies of Injuries Sustained in Crash of Flight 232 I enjoyed reading the little journal entries included in this article because it makes it more unique and gives it a more personal feeling to what Dobson had been feeling and thinking as he was starting up Whataburger. 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. 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. In 1953, Joe Andrews Sr. became the first franchise owner that was not one of the original founders, with a location in Alice, Texas. 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. These days, Whataburger doesnt seem so grateful. The young man would go on to amass a fortune in land and cattle, not far from where he first disembarked. Sadly, in 2005, Whataburger Family Members mourned the loss of Lady Grace as she was called by many. Contents 1 Early life 2 Whataburger 3 Death 4 References Early life I am an English & Communication Arts major at St. Marys University. 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 Their family complete, the Dobsons embarked on the happy, golden age of Whataburger. 9 Intense Plane Crashes Caused By Stalls Smithsonian Channel Smithsonian Channel Aviation Nation 3.2M views 2 years ago 8 Bad Weather Plane Crashes Smithsonian Channel Smithsonian. Year should not be greater than current year. Saturday, May 24, 2014 Plane Crash After I went to the library earlier this week, I found something Interesting as I was going through my notes. Having lived in Texas for the 18 years of my life, I found it really interesting to finally know the full history of Whataburger. Little did he know that he was going to be the founder of an epic fast food restaurant. [2] She ultimately refused to sell the company, wanting it to be kept in the family, and became chairwoman of the board of Whataburger until her death in 2005. 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. GREAT NEWS! A student organization of St. Marys University of San Antonio, Texas, featuring scholarly research, writing, and media from students of all disciplines. After handling freight to pay for his travel, nineteen-year-old Abel Head Pierce, a native of Little Compton, Rhode Island, landed at the Texas port of Indianola five months after leaving home. Send simple, comforting meals with Home Chef. Always thinking bigger, the moment Whataburger began, Dobson and Burton were already seeking a possible second location in Houston. Be the first to post a memory or condolences. 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. ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-124C Globemaster II 52-1062 Whataburger is more than a burger chain. Funeral services are at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 3151 Reid Drive. By March 5, the couple was married. Normally, they look at me skeptically as if to say,Yeah, Right!! The plane went up 100 feet off the runway and came straight back down. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Even the grandchildren work at Whataburger and attend company meetings. Police found two dead people inside the. A Montana family is mourning the loss of their husband, father and grandfather this week after the 50-year-old man crashed in an airplane in Summit County while flying solo along a route he knew well. Dobson, an Arkansas native, married Harmon Dobson in . 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. 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. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. 0 cemeteries found in Batesville, Independence County, Arkansas, USA. [5] In 1963, Whataburger opened its first location in Arizona totaling the number of stores 26. The case went to trial in 1993, but the two sides settled before the jury reached a verdict. 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. In 1955, Harmon married Grace Williamson. He nearly lost a lot of money due to his drunk oil partners actions. As a devout Whataburger customer this article was fascinating. Im glad to read that Tom Dobson, his son, was able to continue the legacy that was left by his father. The number of locations doubled to more than 200 restaurants. At least 2 injuries reported after plane crash in Houston, Texas - CNN 1967 Press Photo Plane Crash Kill Harmon Dobson & Luther Sneed The. [4] 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. A year later, the first of the familiar orange and white striped A-frames was built in Odessa, Texas. In 1942, Dobson went to North Africa to do work on pipefitting scrapyard work, and cable rigging for Bell Telephone Company. 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. 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. Geographical origins 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. The company also said it didnt intend for the 1993 settlement to give WOA exclusive rights or lower royalties. Before the Whataburger, the typical burger was a White Castle slider, a two-ounce beef patty on a 2-inch bun. 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. Thanks for your help! Charities like cancer research, childrens education, child abuse prevention, and hunger are still dear to the companys heart. Whataburger - Wikipedia 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.. 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. [3][2], In 1955, Harmon married Grace Williamson, a widow with a five-year-old son. ). Unless you are experienced as an estate executor, you probably should hire an attorney. The two-seat aircraft crashed into a field north of Thorsby around 1:40 p.m., RCMP said in a Saturday evening news release. After the Second World War ended, Harmon settled on buying used cars, which became profitable. A Douglas C-124C Globemaster II plane, serial 52-1062, was damaged beyond repair in an accident 10 km from Stephenville-Harmon AFB, NL (YJT), Canada. 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. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. 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. 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. By the late eighties the company had begun to lose its way. We still greet our customers with a smile 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Later, he went to Egypt and worked on the Suez Canal. Montana family mourning loss of pilot | ParkRecord.com September 23, 1952- I never expected anything like this. The larger burgers that could be found back in the 1950s were served on 4-inch buns. Many Texans still love and appreciate the food at this Texas treasure. My name is Courtney Pena and I am from McAllen, Texas. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you.