For many years the Andrews family has been instrumental to Whataburgers success. 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. Other publicly traded restaurant companies have made similar moves recently. On June 23, 1950, the Texas Secretary of State office granted Dobson the trademark for Whataburger. Dobson then invested more time and more effort into developing the first Whatabuger.4, Eventually, on August 8, 1950, Dobson opened and sold his first Whataburger through the window of a little portable building. 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. 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. 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. Whataburger Fancy Ketchup, Spicy Ketchup and Original Mustard became available at H-E-B stores and online at. Normally, they look at me skeptically as if to say,Yeah, Right!! 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. Shocked and saddened, the Whataburger family gathered around Lady Grace to comfort her and her three children in the wake of the tragedy. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. 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. 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. He charged a pricy 25 cents since the burgers were better quality than the competitors burgers. He felt like the burgers at Dairy King were too small and wanted to build a really big burger, calling it the Whataburger. Under Reeses leadership, WOA repeatedly won the chains annual best franchise award. Harmon Dobson founded this famous Texas hot spot in 1950. Year should not be greater than current year. I am an English & Communication Arts major at St. Marys University. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. I thought it was only a Texas thing and never heard of them existing anywhere else. 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. So, Dobson, being a former pilot, used a Piper Sub Club plane to drop flyers and coupons to potential customers. (Dobson remains as chairman.) When I think of Whataburger, I immediately think of Texas and burgers. Try again later. 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. 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 flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. harmon dobson plane crash. A student organization of St. Marys University of San Antonio, Texas, featuring scholarly research, writing, and media from students of all disciplines. And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. Whats Up With All the Kangaroos on the Loose in Texas? However, news broke out in June 2019 that Whataburger sold a controlling interest in the company to Chicago- based investment banking firm BDT Capital. Dobson wrote about his success during the first couple of days Whataburger opened in his journal. 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. If youre in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist. It is a place that feels like home to more than 50,000 employees, called Family Members, and millions of customers. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. By 1960, Whataburger stores had expanded and were operating across Texas, Florida, and Tennessee. In 1953 , Joe Andrews received the first Whataburger franchise, and business was booming. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Peterson resigned in 1993. It was such a smart marketing move to drop flyers, coupons, and carry a Whataburger banner in the air. Later, he went to Egypt and worked on the Suez Canal. Geographical origins During this time he traveled to North Africa where he helped build a U.S. Navy base and worked on airplane hangars, radio towers, tanks, and whatever else the Navy needed. ), 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. And on May 6, 1999, Whataburger by the Bay opened in Corpus Christi as a tribute to Whataburger's upcoming 50th anniversary. 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. With his massive profits, he dabbled in oil speculation and mining diamonds in South America. He kicked off New Year's Day 1950 with a. Little did he know that he was going to be the founder of an epic fast food restaurant. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Harmon Archibald Dobson (October 8, 1913 - April 11, 1967) was an American entrepreneur best known as one of the founders of the fast food chain Whataburger. 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. 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. Please enter your email and password to sign in. I never knew anything about the man who created it and i found it hilarious that he wanted people to say what a burger! Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Having lived in Texas for the 18 years of my life, I found it really interesting to finally know the full history of Whataburger. Serving it hot and fresh, 24/7. I like to write, listen to music, and read about fashion. 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. 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 hard to ignore a burger that makes you say What a Burger!. 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. His mother, Louise, and his sister, Kathy Reese, ran the business until Louise died, in 2005, leaving Reese in charge. Piloting a B-25 bomber, Harmon was flying with five other men through a thunderstorm when the plane's right wing tore away. . 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. Oops, something didn't work. 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. I didnt know the history of Whataburger was so interesting. The agreement stipulated that if Andrewss company identified a location in the three counties that it wanted to develop, Whataburger was obligated to approve the franchise. 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. 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.. By The Canadian Press Sat., Sept. 26, 2020 But in April of that year, a plane accident cut short Harmon's life, leaving her with three . The University of Houstons Barth says such changes arent unusual in a company that has grown to Whataburgers size. There was an error deleting this problem. Dobsons journey started when he left Arkansas for Texas in 1950. Try again later. Whataburger was a burgeoning business, but profits were minimal. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. After all, kindness, compassion, and quality were principles Harmon and Grace worked to instill in their employees. Were honored today to just say . Following his success, Dobson began dabbling in oil and purchased a small well in Mountain Home, Arkansas. Even the grandchildren work at Whataburger and attend company meetings. The burgers were always cooked exactly how the customer wanted them to be. Eventually, Jim Peterson became the new CEO, but he left a negative impact on the company. The golden age of drive-ins and American automobiles was just getting started back on August 8, 1950, when Harmon Dobson opened Whataburger #1. Born:? It's surprising how much a musical selection can affect mourning. Angel was a bit more adventurous than Dobson, though both crashed several times in Africa while mining for diamonds. 1967. The place did well, and soon Dobson added two more locations in Corpus and one in nearby Kingsville. 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. [2] Dobson spent most of his early life working on his parents' cattle farm. 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. The young man would go on to amass a fortune in land and cattle, not far from where he first disembarked. Fire Ants Have Unleashed Chaos in Texas for Decades. However, everything changed when Dobson was put in charge of the refinerys mess hall, and it was here that his education in large-scale food service began. He realized that he needed some creative marketing strategies to obtain new customers. This was a very interesting story to tell! The Whataburger Jr. was added to the menu, as were jalapeos and onion rings. Dobson later was hired to help build a naval base where he worked on building radio towers, tanks and hangars. [7], In his will, Dobson left the company to his wife, Grace Dobson, who at the time was encouraged to sell the company. In 2001, the 77th Texas Legislature officially recognized what Texans had known for more than 50 years: Whataburger is a designated a Texas Treasure.' Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. For some people, the best send-off is one that they would have loved to attendthemselves: a big party. In the 21st century, it's not just urns and gravestones anymore. 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. 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. 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. Dobson and Burton's goal was to make a burger that took two hands to hold and that tasted good. Dobson faced financial challenges. From the very start, Lady Grace saw to it that Whataburger gave back to the community. Dobson was involved in the early growth of the franchise from 1950 until his death in an airplane crash in 1967. Earlier in the year, Harmon had crashed in Dutch Guiana at the northern tip of South America while en route to North Africa. Dobson revealed that in Fast Food magazine in 1957 that flying over a Whataburger in Bryan, Texas led to more customers buying burgers. However, early on Burton and Dobson found that their differing business philosophies were undeniable. ). There are no volunteers for this cemetery. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. During the early 1990s, profits declined as new items such as popcorn shrimp, salads, and steak sandwiches were added to the menu.