Whataburger Field, home of the Corpus Christi Hooks celebrated a ground-breaking ceremony with Grace throwing out the first pitch. There was a problem getting your location. 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. David Kessler's top 4 tips for dealing with holiday grief. I thought it was only a Texas thing and never heard of them existing anywhere else. Under the leadership of Grace Dobson, the company thrived and grew. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Lawrence Jagmin, of . 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. 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. The '70s was a decade of Whataburger milestones. After all, kindness, compassion, and quality were principles Harmon and Grace worked to instill in their employees. We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time. This venture led him to his destiny in the Lone Star State. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. 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 The burger chain has large hamburgers, skinny long fries, creamy milkshakes, and more. In 1956 and 1957, respectively, they had a daughter named Mary Lynne and a son named Hugh Carlton. Wow! His friend and associate, Andrew Sneed was also killed. So proud & so tired.17. 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. At 4:28 p.m, the plane took off, but, unfortunately, something went wrong. Thats what made me mad, made me want to fight, Grace told biographers. August 10, 1950- I came to Corpus Wed. Paul finally opened Tuesday [August 8] $50 first day, $79 yesterday & $62 today. Today, our founder's original vision still inspires everything we do. Unfortunately, Coy was protective of Grace and had warned her about dating his unsettled, gallivanting brother. In 1959, the first Whataburger restaurant outside of the state of Texas opened in Pensacola, Florida.[5]. 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. In 1955, Harmon married Grace Williamson and they became Whataburger's First Couple. Together, they raised three children: Hugh, Lynne and Tom. Unflinching, she steadfastly refused. A system error has occurred. 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. This attention to detail likely led to Whataburger receiving $50 in purchases on their first day.5. Dobson was raised in a small rural farming community of Cushman, Arkansas. Following that, he worked at the New York Shipbuilding Company, which, at the time, was the worlds largest boat-builder for the U.S. Navy. The 70s was a decade of Whataburger milestones. It has expanded in the Southwest United States with about 800 locations in ten states. Dobson faced financial challenges. Along the way they talked about old times and old friends. [4] In 1962, the company introduced French fries and hot pies to its menu. They have also hosted Wow fund-raising events where they combine fun community activities with charitable giving. September 23, 1952- I never expected anything like this. And never forgetting where we started. 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. 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. 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. However, Dobson found success to be lonely. 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. Grace Dobson, also known as Lady Grace, is the famous face behind the Whataburger empire. It was such a smart marketing move to drop flyers, coupons, and carry a Whataburger banner in the air. 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! Dobson lived in the same modest house at Santa Fe Street and Meldo Park Drive for years, maintaining a close relationship with her children, grandchildren and friends, Sheka said. In 1953, Joe Andrews Sr. became the first franchise owner that was not one of the original founders, with a location in Alice, Texas. Dobson, an Arkansas native, married Harmon Dobson in 1955, five years after he opened the first Whataburger near Del Mar College. The very first WhataGames, the company's biennial burger Olympic competition for Team Members, was held. Even the grandchildren work at Whataburger and attend company meetings. UPLAND, Pa. (AP) _ A former New Jersey state trooper severely injured in the crash of United Airlines Flight 232 in Sioux City, Iowa, last month has died, a hospital spokeswoman said. Funeral services are at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 3151 Reid Drive. They really caught on early to the adage that pioneers get slaughtered and settlers get the land, he says. Dobson wrote about his success during the first couple of days Whataburger opened in his journal. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. 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. The airplane operated on a flight from Stephenville-Ernest Harmon AFB, NL (YJT) to Terceira-Lajes AFB, Azores (TER). Their business completed the next day, on April 11, 1967, and the men were going back home. He attributes that success to Whataburgers prudent approach to growth, training, and customer service. Otherwise, it wouldnt approve any new sites for WOA. The new CEO and president of Whataburger was Tom Dobson, the son of Harmon and Grace Dobson. 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: This is a carousel with slides. By The Canadian Press Sat., Sept. 26, 2020 Earlier in the year, Harmon had crashed in Dutch Guiana at the northern tip of South America while en route to North Africa. how privileged we are to have been in a partnership with you for this long.. Grace Williamson and her 5-year-old son, Tom, rented a home owned by Dobsons brother Coy. 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. Whats the beef between Texass most iconic burger chain and its most loyal franchisee? Im glad to read that Tom Dobson, his son, was able to continue the legacy that was left by his father. This browser does not support getting your location. The Dobsons son, Tom, became Whataburgers chief executive in 1993. Sorry! Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. In addition to that, Dobson sold chips and a cold drink with the burger. This is the era in which country music legend Mel Tillis started appearing in television commercials for the company, a role that would continue through the 80s. Tom Dobson. Dan Solomon writes about politics, music, food, sports, criminal justice, health care, film, and business. For some people, the best send-off is one that they would have loved to attendthemselves: a big party. The meat and vegetables were always fresh, never frozen. "But through all of their giving and the charitable things that they did for the community and the state of Texas it glowed down on her anyway. Were honored today to just say . 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. In a short time, Dobson had an impressive business. His parents had reason to worry. My name is Courtney Pena and I am from McAllen, Texas. Can College Sports Get More Absurd Than SMU Joining the Pac-12? He wanted this burgers to be so delicious that it would make a person yell, What a burger! This inspired the naming of his company. In the summer of 1854, a destitute stowaway on a Texas-bound schooner was discovered and forced to work for his passage. Other publicly traded restaurant companies have made similar moves recently. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Many Texans still love and appreciate the food at this Texas treasure. The burgers sold back then are the same as the original Whataburger that many Texans still love to today. By the end of 1936, he had a net worth of $35,000. The entire crew bailed out, with Harmon parachuting into a jungle. [2] Dobson spent most of his early life working on his parents' cattle farm. They werent in a hurry to expand, and they rarely if ever expanded outside their comfort zone and their target market.. 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. Dobson faced financial challenges. Dobsons journey started when he left Arkansas for Texas in 1950. Tom officially took over Whataburger in 1993 and is still company chairman today. Try again later. An opportunity arose when Harmon discovered a niche in the auto industry. Harmon Dobson founded this famous Texas hot spot in 1950. In addition to that, Dobson sold chips and a cold drink with the burger. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. The Dobson family and their extended Whataburger family rallied around and supported Grace as she took over the business. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. But the rift between the Andrews family and the burger chain they helped build represents a struggle between the past and the present, and between two families who have known each other for a long time. For many years the Andrews family has been instrumental to Whataburgers success. Whataburgers Facebook page reached 1 million fans in 2013, just over a year after its launch. For Adler, the name on the stadium and the ball-throwing honor were small tributes to a woman he thought the world of. In Reeses telling, the states most famous burger joint has become just another greedy corporate entity. Expand the Memories and Condolences form. 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. By 1967, business was booming. On April 11, 1967, Dobson and an associate died in an airplane crash, and Dobson's widow, Grace, took control of the business. 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. The plane was making unusual noises and was rumored to be having engine trouble. In 1955, Harmon married Grace Williamson. It hurts the brand ultimately.. He purchased a frozen custard stand called Dairy King in Big Spring, Texas, and ran it for a few weeks to learn the business. I hope to become a successful journalist in the future. Oct 21, 2020, 9:31am PST. Dobson even cut a deal with a local bakery to make special-sized buns; the Rainbo bakery had to search the country for a company that could make pans big enough to bake them. Franchisees and the parent company squabbled over products and promotions, and the once familial corporate culture deteriorated into an us-versus-them mentality. 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. Harmon Dobson was sixteen years old on Black Friday, but this first Black Friday was no shopping extravaganza: it marked the most devastating stock market crash in United States history. The meeting between Pierce and the rich soil of the coastal plains of Texas might have been destiny. Since his businesses were now at different locations, Harmon figured it was wise to visit them by plane. 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. During the early 1990s, profits declined as new items such as popcorn shrimp, salads, and steak sandwiches were added to the menu. 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. The new CEO and president of Whataburger was Tom Dobson, the son of Harmon and Grace Dobson. This account has been disabled. Great article! 0 cemeteries found in Batesville, Independence County, Arkansas, USA. Dobson later was hired to help build a naval base where he worked on building radio towers, tanks and hangars. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. 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. He was not afraid to tell people if they did not meet his standards.. Patricia Sharpe writes a regular restaurant column, Pats Pick, for Texas Monthly. I found it very interesting that they are still selling the same tasty burgers they sold in 1950 at their first restaurant in Corpus Christi. [4] Five of the crew died while waiting, and the remaining seven . In November 1942, a B-17 bomber with a 12-man crew crashed into a Greenland ice cap. Giving to charity is a meaningful way to honor someone who has died. Harmons parents, Hugh and Ethel, raised cattle and fed the family fresh beef, milk, and home-grown vegetables. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Harmon Archibald Dobson I found on Findagrave.com. Contents 1 Early life 2 Whataburger 3 Death 4 References Early life Grief researchers say holding that missing funeral service, even a year or more later, can still help us heal. In 1942, Dobson went to North Africa to do work on pipefitting scrapyard work, and cable rigging for Bell Telephone Company. 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. 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. It is a place that feels like home to more than 50,000 employees, called Family Members, and millions of customers. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. In June Dallas-based Brinker International, which owns Chilis and Maggianos Little Italy, unveiled a plan to buy franchises to boost earnings. The plane went up 100 feet off the runway and came straight back down. The exterior of the original Burger Boy restaurant at 2323 N. St. Mary's. Chuck Blount / Staff Show More Show Less 2 of 6. Year should not be greater than current year. It has expanded in the Southwest United States with about 800 locations in ten states. And as long as they can still get their Green Chile Double Whataburgers or Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits, they probably dont care.