On August 8, 2000, Whataburger proudly celebrated its 50th anniversary with 575 restaurants in operation and millions of fans all over the country. Harmon Archibald Dobson [1] was an American entrepreneur best known as one of the founders of the fast food chain Whataburger. 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.. He took jobs at the county fair and as an apprentice iron worker. 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. [2] Dobson spent most of his early life working on his parents' cattle farm. The new CEO and president of Whataburger was Tom Dobson, the son of Harmon and Grace Dobson. Whataburgers Facebook page reached 1 million fans in 2013, just over a year after its launch. Also, Whataburger expanded to places such as Las Vegas and Memphis, where the company was unknown, leading to a lack of customers purchasing food. Harmon Dobson was the founder of WHATABURGER Inc. You have funeral questions, we have answers. 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! Montana family mourning loss of pilot | ParkRecord.com Grace Dobson Obituary (2005) - Corpus Christi, TX - Corpus-Christi Early life [ edit] Together, they raised three children: Hugh, Lynne and Tom. So proud & so tired.17. 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. Tom officially took over Whataburger in 1993 and is still company chairman today. 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. Before the Whataburger, the typical burger was a White Castle slider, a two-ounce beef patty on a 2-inch bun. If youre in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist. Andrews, a longtime friend of Whataburger founder Harmon Dobsons, wasnt simply the companys first franchisee, he was its most successful, opening dozens of locations in Texas and helping the chain build its reputation. Earlier in the year, Harmon had crashed in Dutch Guiana at the northern tip of South America while en route to North Africa. Harmon Dobson founded this famous Texas hot spot in 1950. (Dobson family members also may be ready to cash out.) And by the end of 1989, Whataburger was serving hot and fresh food at 440 different locations. [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. 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. Dobson revealed that in Fast Food magazine in 1957 that flying over a Whataburger in Bryan, Texas led to more customers buying burgers. Born:? ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-124C Globemaster II 52-1062 In 1952, Dobson opened a location in Kingsville, Texas, this was the first store located outside of Corpus Christi. Perhaps the Depression stuck with young Harmon because food was important to him long after tough economic times had ended. Their family complete, the Dobsons embarked on the happy, golden age of Whataburger. On April 10, 1967, Dobson needed to fly to Beaumont, Texas for business and wanted someone to come along with him. 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. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. After experiencing numerous losses that caused him to lose over $5,000, Dobson returned to the U.S. Dobson began by doing dozens of quick auto deals before returning to Texas to scout for oil. Drag images here or select from your computer for Harmon Archibald Dobson memorial. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Also, Whataburger expanded to places such as Las Vegas and Memphis, where the company was unknown, leading to a lack of customers purchasing food. What disappointed Harmon most about this era was the news that although he was accepted to the University of Missouri to study journalism, he would never graduate. He purchased a frozen custard stand called Dairy King in Big Spring, Texas, and ran it for a few weeks to learn the business. The plane was making unusual noises and was rumored to be having engine trouble. 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. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love. Eventually, more people came to eat the fresh, large burgers. The Dobsons son, Tom, became Whataburgers chief executive in 1993. And a new building design, which retained the spirit of the original A-frame, was unveiled. [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. 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. Normally, they look at me skeptically as if to say,Yeah, Right!! If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. In February 1955, Coy passed away, and Dobson and Grace turned to each other for comfort. 1967 Press Photo Plane Crash Kill Harmon Dobson & Luther Sneed In the past, corporate simply approved such requests, as stipulated under the 1993 settlement. 1 of 6. Amanda's Corpus Christi History: Plane Crash - Blogger After her husband died, Grace Dobson surrounded herself with a management team, became chairwoman of the board and grew the business to more than 600 company-owned and franchised stores - and raised three children as a single parent. Dobson filled that need by buying used autos from urban areas like Detroit, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., and selling them back in Batesville for huge profits. The meat and vegetables were always fresh, never frozen. It was fascinating to see that the burger/fast food chain that Dobson created (along with other people) would end up becoming the most notable food item in Texas. However, Dobson was already looking to move on to bigger ventures. The burgers sold back then are the same as the original Whataburger that many Texans still love to today. Victim Dies of Injuries Sustained in Crash of Flight 232 The very first WhataGames, the company's biennial burger Olympic competition for Team Members, was held. Treating our customers right. The other victims were identified by the Texas . 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 November 1942, a B-17 bomber with a 12-man crew crashed into a Greenland ice cap. In my personal opinion, I am glad he did not succeed in striking oil because I would not have been able to enjoy Whataburger. Fire Ants Have Unleashed Chaos in Texas for Decades. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. 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. 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. Be the first to post a memory or condolences. harmon dobson plane crash. Peterson resigned in 1993. Loved this article! I am an English & Communication Arts major at St. Marys University. 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] Harmon and his wife had two children, a daughter born in 1956 and a son born in 1957. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Police say the Harmon Rocket a two-seat sport plane caught fire after the crash, and both a man and a woman were found deceased inside the aircraft. 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 Alice franchise was a quick success, and over the decades Whataburger and the Andrews familys company, Whataburger of Alice (WOA), grew in tandem. I was also unaware of its background nor founder Harmon Dobson. based on information from your browser. Harmon Dobson founded this famous Texas hot spot in 1950. 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. Read more: 2 dead after small plane crashes near Thorsby: Alberta . Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. The menu grew as well, with French fries and hot pies being added in 1962. 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. By March 5, the couple was married. Harlon Gerry Dobson, of Pittsgrove Township, N.J., died Saturday at Crozier Chester Medical Center in this Philadelphia suburb, where he . Shortly after arriving on campus, Harmon was called home to help with a family crisis. His friend and associate, Andrew Sneed was also killed. The company also said it didnt intend for the 1993 settlement to give WOA exclusive rights or lower royalties. While passing through the Southwest United States, particularly Texas, one will probably encounter big, tall, orange and white signs with a Texas-sized W. This is the sign of the famous Texas fast food restaurant Whataburger. 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. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. His mother, Louise, and his sister, Kathy Reese, ran the business until Louise died, in 2005, leaving Reese in charge. Four of six Bar-Kays members died: Ronnie Caldwell, Phalon Jones, Jimmy King and Carl Cunningham. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. 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. [1] In 1971, the company opened its first drive-through store, and in 1972, it opened its 100th store. 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. BDT is a merchant bank that invests in family-owned companies. how privileged we are to have been in a partnership with you for this long..