harmon dobson plane crash

In February 1955, Coy passed away, and Dobson and Grace turned to each other for comfort. Please enter your email and password to sign in. 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. Grace Williamson and her 5-year-old son, Tom, rented a home owned by Dobsons brother Coy. Shortly after arriving on campus, Harmon was called home to help with a family crisis. In a short time, Dobson had an impressive business. 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. And a new building design, which retained the spirit of the original A-frame, was unveiled. 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. Unfortunately, Coy was protective of Grace and had warned her about dating his unsettled, gallivanting brother. I have heard that Whataburger is from Texas but I was never completely sure. The plane, a Harmon Rocket, caught fire following the crash. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Once it was averted, Harmon began searching for a new path to success. cemeteries found in Batesville, Independence County, Arkansas, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Harmon Dobson was the founder of WHATABURGER Inc. Dobson, an Arkansas native, married Harmon Dobson in 1955, five years after he opened the first Whataburger near Del Mar College. harmon dobson plane crash. He realized that he needed some creative marketing strategies to obtain new customers. Dobson revealed that in Fast Food magazine in 1957 that flying over a Whataburger in Bryan, Texas led to more customers buying burgers. Search above to list available cemeteries. The entire crew bailed out, with Harmon parachuting into a jungle. In my personal opinion, I am glad he did not succeed in striking oil because I would not have been able to enjoy Whataburger. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. So, Dobson, being a former pilot, used a Piper Sub Club plane to drop flyers and coupons to potential customers. Thank God for his drunken partners actions which led him to leave the oil business, otherwise, we wouldnt get to experience the beloved food of Whataburger! Try again later. Can College Sports Get More Absurd Than SMU Joining the Pac-12? The menu grew as well, with French fries and hot pies being added in 1962. 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. Piloting a B-25 bomber, Harmon was flying with five other men through a thunderstorm when the plane's right wing tore away. Whataburger was doing well after its grand opening. The burger chain has large hamburgers, skinny long fries, creamy milkshakes, and more. I think anyone who hasnt tried Whataburger definitely should because it is one of the best fast food places. Whataburger is more than a burger chain. By 1967, business was booming. 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. Learn more about merges. ! In 1956 and 1957, respectively, they had a daughter named Mary Lynne and a son named Hugh Carlton. This is a great article and very informative! Spicing Things Up: Whataburger Buffalo Ranch Chicken Lineup Returns for a Limited Time, Get Ready for More Bold Flavors: Whataburger is Growing in Memphis, Whataburger Celebrates One Year of Delicious Dining in Colorful Colorado, MyWhataburger The company also passed the 500-store threshold, making it the nation's eighth-largest hamburger chain. This time, however, it indicated that it wasnt inclined to do so. Under Reeses leadership, WOA repeatedly won the chains annual best franchise award. 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. The number of locations doubled to more than 200 restaurants. 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. [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. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. For some people, the best send-off is one that they would have loved to attendthemselves: a big party. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? However, after only four months, Dobson grew restless and returned to the U.S. By August of that year, he returned home. 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. 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. Along the way they talked about old times and old friends. 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. Its so interesting that he aimed to create a burger that would require hands to hold it. 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. Dobson faced financial challenges. BDT is a merchant bank that invests in family-owned companies. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. It consists of a grilled quarter-pound beef patty, fresh lettuce, four dill pickles, three slices of tomatoes, chopped onions, mustard and ketchup. 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. Dobson wrote about his success during the first couple of days Whataburger opened in his journal. Expand the Memories and Condolences form. 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. 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. [2], Dobson moved to Texas, where he co-founded the first Whataburger with Paul Burton, who was looking to open a hamburger restaurant. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. 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. Also on board and killed was soul singer Otis Redding . However, Dobson was already looking to move on to bigger ventures. Dobson agreed, and the Alice store opened a year later. 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. Thomas Mark Harmon, 50, of Laurel, Mont., died at the scene Monday after crashing his small plane . Their business completed the next day, on April 11, 1967, and the men were going back home. BDT is a merchant bank that invests in family-owned companies. "She was a very shy woman, who didn't want the limelight," Adler said Friday. New specialty items included the Whataburger Patty Melt and the Honey BBQ Chicken Strip Sandwich. During the early 1990s, profits declined as new items such as popcorn shrimp, salads, and steak sandwiches were added to the menu. Ways to honor Grace Dobson's life and legacy. 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. 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. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. 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. Harmons parents, Hugh and Ethel, raised cattle and fed the family fresh beef, milk, and home-grown vegetables. The other victims were identified by the Texas . in 2013. To plant trees in memory, please visit the. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. A brief period of military camels in Texas became lost to even most history books. For many years the Andrews family has been instrumental to Whataburgers success. The likeness of Andrews, wearing a cowboy hat and mounted on a limestone pedestal, was commissioned to mark the sixtieth anniversary of the oldest franchise of the iconic Texas burger chain. Ive always associated Whataburger with Texas and learning more about an integral part of Texan culture was enjoyable. Many Texans still love and appreciate the food at this Texas treasure. Please reset your password. So proud & so tired.17. It has expanded in the Southwest United States with about 800 locations in ten states. We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time. Harlon Gerry Dobson, of Pittsgrove Township, N.J., died Saturday at Crozier Chester Medical Center in this Philadelphia suburb, where he . The Harmon Rocket two-seat sport plane . 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. An opportunity arose when Harmon discovered a niche in the auto industry. Eventually, more people came to eat the fresh, large burgers. If youre in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist. The airplane operated on a flight from Stephenville-Ernest Harmon AFB, NL (YJT) to Terceira-Lajes AFB, Azores (TER). Franchisees and the parent company squabbled over products and promotions, and the once familial corporate culture deteriorated into an us-versus-them mentality. Food has always been a go-to for people in mourning. 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. Whataburger was a burgeoning business, but profits were minimal. 1967 Press Photo Plane Crash Kill Harmon Dobson & Luther Sneed Restaurant Owners Condition: -- Price: US $10.00 Buy It Now Add to cart Add to Watchlist Returns accepted Ships from United States Shipping: US $4.99Standard Shipping | See details Located in: Memphis, Tennessee, United States Delivery: I like to write, listen to music, and read about fashion. I like to write, listen to music, and read about fashion. 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. In 1955, Harmon married Grace Williamson and they became Whataburger's First Couple. Together, they raised three children: Hugh, Lynne and Tom. ). It was also surprising to me that Whataburgers exists in other states. Cant tell much yet.6, August 11, 1950- Nice day today $97. Everyone expected Grace, now twice widowed, to crumble, and they encouraged her to sell Whataburger. Eventually, Jim Peterson became the new CEO, but he left a negative impact on the company. Try again later. In November 1942, a B-17 bomber with a 12-man crew crashed into a Greenland ice cap. 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. He nearly lost a lot of money due to his drunk oil partners actions. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. Harmon Dobson founded this famous Texas hot spot in 1950. So, he brought along Johnny Sneed, who was working with a Whataburger franchise in Victoria, Texas. Having lived in Texas for the 18 years of my life, I found it really interesting to finally know the full history of Whataburger. The main reason for the move was for oil. 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. She threw out the ball at the field right before she got really sick. Verify and try again. [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. The location of the first Whataburger was 2609 Ayers Street, across from Del Mar College in Corpus Christi. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Today, Whataburger is a big part of Texas culture, and families all over the Lone Star State can say thank you to Harmon Dobson for helping them to celebrate some of the best moments of their lives. Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. The first drive-thru was installed in 1971. During Hurricane Harvey, Whataburger rallied around the Corpus Christi community and quickly began rebuilding and fundraising efforts. The Dobson family and their extended Whataburger family rallied around and supported Grace as she took over the business. The main reason for the move was for oil. Instead, during the next 38 years, the Whataburger matriarch, who died of complications from cancer Thursday in a local hospital at age 80, played an integral part in growing the hamburger chain into the eighth largest in the nation.