By the end of the decade, Harmon would open Whataburger #21 in Pensacola, Florida. I had no idea that the founder of Whataburger started in the oil business! Whataburger Fancy Ketchup, Spicy Ketchup and Original Mustard became available at H-E-B stores and online at. Tragedy struck the Whataburger family in 1967 when a plane crash took the life of Harmon Dobson. Harlon Gerry Dobson, of Pittsgrove Township, N.J., died Saturday at Crozier Chester Medical Center in this Philadelphia suburb, where he . 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. The Crash of United Flight 232 - Popular Mechanics Neither Whataburger nor Whataburger of Alice would be what it is today without the other. 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. We still use 100% pure, never-frozen beef and serve it on a big, toasted five-inch bun. harmon dobson plane crash. Harmon Archibald Dobson (1913-1967) - Find a Grave Memorial Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Harmon Dobson (16533251)? I didnt know the history of Whataburger was so interesting. The burgers sold back then are the same as the original Whataburger that many Texans still love to today. Whats Up With All the Kangaroos on the Loose in Texas? 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. Drag images here or select from your computer for Harmon Archibald Dobson memorial. A few weeks after the funeral, Grace visited Dobson in Corpus Christi, and they had their first date at Whataburger. 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. In 1969, Grace became chairman of the board. 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. Its hard to ignore a burger that makes you say What a Burger!. Their business completed the next day, on April 11, 1967, and the men were going back home. And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. However, news broke out in June 2019 that Whataburger sold a controlling interest in the company to Chicago- based investment banking firm BDT Capital. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Harmon Dobson - Wikipedia Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. There were nine crew members on board. Harmon Dobson founded this famous Texas hot spot in 1950. Today, in 2019, it has been 69 years since the first Whataburger opened up. Whataburger Field, home of the Corpus Christi Hooks celebrated a ground-breaking ceremony with Grace throwing out the first pitch. 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. 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. Great article! Harmon Archibald Dobson [1] was an American entrepreneur best known as one of the founders of the fast food chain Whataburger. She threw out the ball at the field right before she got really sick. By 1967, business was booming. The burgers were always cooked exactly how the customer wanted them to be. The next year, we awarded more than $90 million in bonuses to our Family Members (what we call our employees) in thanks for their extraordinary service during the pandemic. BDT Capital Partners acquired a majority interest in Whataburger and Ed Nelson was promoted to President in 2019. And as long as they can still get their Green Chile Double Whataburgers or Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits, they probably dont care. He died when his private plane, a Cessna Skymaster, crashed shortly after takeoff. January 1, 1950- I think this will be an eventful year for me.1. Whatalife: Harmon Dobson, the Founder of Whataburger AKA Thomas E. Dobson. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. 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. Online ordering through Whataburgers app and website debuted in 2019. 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. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. So, Dobson, being a former pilot, used a Piper Sub Club plane to drop flyers and coupons to potential customers. For many years the Andrews family has been instrumental to Whataburgers success. Food has always been a go-to for people in mourning. The pragmatic Lady Grace rolled up her sleeves and got to work, teaching her children the family business along the way. Police found two dead people inside the. Born:? 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. Family tree of Harmon Dobson - Geneastar Dobsons journey started when he left Arkansas for Texas in 1950. Failed to report flower. 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. The company also said it didnt intend for the 1993 settlement to give WOA exclusive rights or lower royalties. The History of and Story Behind Whataburger Logo - Money Inc Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? 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. Try again later. Ricky Nelson and Six Others Die As Their Plane Crashes in Texas Lady Grace and the Whataburger Legend - Texasliving 1967. cemeteries found in Batesville, Independence County, Arkansas, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. The '70s was a decade of Whataburger milestones. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Harmon Dobson was born in 1913 in Wayne, Oklahoma, to Hugh and Ethel Dobson. Many Texans still love and appreciate the food at this Texas treasure. [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. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. In 1934, Dobson started work as an apprentice ironworker, he later became a shipbuilder at the start of World War II. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Since his businesses were now at different locations, Harmon figured it was wise to visit them by plane. In addition to that, Dobson sold chips and a cold drink with the burger. ). Eventually, more people came to eat the fresh, large burgers. 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. In a short time, Dobson had an impressive business. Weve updated the security on the site. Mary Lynne and Hugh are both members of the board of directors. I never knew anything about the man who created it and i found it hilarious that he wanted people to say what a burger! The brand really is tied to both of these families, Hartmann says. The Andrews family refused and in March filed its suit, asking a judge to order Whataburger to abide by the 1993 agreement. Treating our customers right. In Jefferson, Kitts Kornbread Turns Familiar Fare Into Something Special. Oops, something didn't work. 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 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. The Dobsons son, Tom, became Whataburgers chief executive in 1993. . Before the Whataburger, the typical burger was a White Castle slider, a two-ounce beef patty on a 2-inch 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. He died when his private plane, a Cessna Skymaster, crashed shortly after takeoff. Harmon never lived to see his shack become a regional burger empire; he died in a plane crash in 1967. The plane was making unusual noises and was rumored to be having engine trouble. You can count real friends on one hand. August 20, 1989. 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. 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. Failed to remove flower. In June Dallas-based Brinker International, which owns Chilis and Maggianos Little Italy, unveiled a plan to buy franchises to boost earnings. In June 1950, Dobson was granted the Whataburger name trademark. Whataburger is bigger than all of those, and that may be the point. September 23, 1952- I never expected anything like this. Rocky Mountain House airport manager one of 2 dead in plane crash - CBC Angel crashed fifteen times before meeting his demise, but it only took Dobson four wrecks to wake up and realize the diamond business might prove fatal. Lawrence Jagmin, of Frankfort, crashed Tuesday evening near Illinois 394 and Lincoln Highway in Ford Heights. [5] In 1963, Whataburger opened its first location in Arizona totaling the number of stores 26. based on information from your browser. The Dobson family and their extended Whataburger family rallied around and supported Grace as she took over the business. 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. It hurts the brand ultimately.. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Having lived in Texas for the 18 years of my life, I found it really interesting to finally know the full history of Whataburger. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. A year later, the first of the familiar orange and white striped A-frames was built in Odessa, Texas. Four of six Bar-Kays members died: Ronnie Caldwell, Phalon Jones, Jimmy King and Carl Cunningham.