Along the way she made lifelong friends, including Bill Sheka Sr., 83, who knew her for 50 years. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Whataburger founder Harmon Dobson stands in front of his first . Oops, we were unable to send the email. In addition to a legacy of giving, Lady Grace made sure to instill her children with hard work and Whataburger values. 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. 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 Te damos 5 razones para no perderte el Buffalo Ranch Chicken Strip Sandwich y la Buffalo Ranch Chicken Salad. Im glad to read that Tom Dobson, his son, was able to continue the legacy that was left by his father. Its a little like a public divorceneither side walks away looking good, says Michelle Hartmann, a Dallas attorney who specializes in private-company litigation. Tom Dobson. So, Dobson, being a former pilot, used a Piper Sub Club plane to drop flyers and coupons to potential customers. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. As a devout Whataburger customer this article was fascinating. Dobson was involved in the early growth of the franchise from 1950 until his death in an airplane crash in 1967. Es Cuaresma y Whataburger lo sabe: El Whatacatch, est de regreso! The two-seat aircraft crashed into a field north of Thorsby around 1:40 p.m., RCMP said in a Saturday evening news release. Also on the board were Sam W. Main who was vice president, Laneil Andert who was secretary, Ray F. Miller who was treasurer, and Roscoe Smith and Tom E. Dobson as board members.13 During this time, Grace usually avoided the spotlight, but she attended almost every company event. After all, kindness, compassion, and quality were principles Harmon and Grace worked to instill in their employees. In August, they opened their first location on Ayers Street in Corpus Christi, Texas, across the street from Del Mar College. So proud & so tired.17. Their family complete, the Dobsons embarked on the happy, golden age of Whataburger. Whataburger Fancy Ketchup, Spicy Ketchup and Original Mustard became available at H-E-B stores and online at Whatastore in 2013. It was the first Whataburger restaurant outside the state of Texas. 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. Make sure that the file is a photo. Benefits. Try again later. Dobson then bounced around a lot after that work on the Suez Canal in Egypt, and then in Bahrain where he was in charge of a construction of a mess hall. [7] The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) summary classifies the accident type as a stall. Whataburger had commissioned the "Flying W" company logo and had expanded to 40 locations in four states. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Whats the beef between Texass most iconic burger chain and its most loyal franchisee? 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. Even the grandchildren work at Whataburger and attend company meetings. The Texas burger landscape is more competitive than ever, thanks to an influx of regional mini-chains such as Austins P. Terrys, the Metroplexs Twisted Root Burger Co., and Houstons Becks Prime and smaller national chains such as Smashburger, Five Guys, and Shake Shack. Whataburgers Facebook page reached 1 million fans in 2013, just over a year after its launch. Growing up during the onset of the Great Depression, the Dobson family had few resources, but plenty of food at a time when food meant everything. On April 10, 1967, Dobson needed to fly to Beaumont, Texas for business and wanted someone to come along with him. And by the end of 1989, Whataburger was serving hot and fresh food at 440 different locations. In 2001, the 77th Texas Legislature officially recognized what Texans had known for more than 50 years: Whataburger is a designated a Texas Treasure.' Cant tell much yet.6, August 11, 1950- Nice day today $97. 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. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. 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. 9 Intense Plane Crashes Caused By Stalls Smithsonian Channel Smithsonian Channel Aviation Nation 3.2M views 2 years ago 8 Bad Weather Plane Crashes Smithsonian Channel Smithsonian. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. [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. Really great article. The location of the first Whataburger was 2609 Ayers Street, across from Del Mar College in Corpus Christi. In my personal opinion, I am glad he did not succeed in striking oil because I would not have been able to enjoy Whataburger. I like to write, listen to music, and read about fashion. Most people thought Grace Dobson would sell her rapidly growing hamburger business after her husband died in a private plane crash in 1967. Loved this article! Thanks for your help! Harmon was a stickler for cleanliness and very detailoriented, his sister LenaRae explained to biographer Greg Woolridge. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. David Kessler's top 4 tips for dealing with holiday grief. There is even a Whataburger race car and a Whataburger field in Corpus Christi that hosts a minor league baseball team. 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. Whats Up With All the Kangaroos on the Loose in Texas? At 4:28 p.m, the plane took off, but, unfortunately, something went wrong. Dobson wrote about his success during the first couple of days Whataburger opened in his journal. [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. Harmon Dobson, a "young entrepreneur" who made his start in life shipbuilding, oil drilling and diamond training, was the man behind the burgers. September 23, 1952- I never expected anything like this. . He started his first establishment in 1950 as a large "wooden box" stand. They have also hosted Wow fund-raising events where they combine fun community activities with charitable giving. Dobson was involved in the early growth of the franchise from 1950 until his death in an airplane crash in 1967. In Jefferson, Kitts Kornbread Turns Familiar Fare Into Something Special. In 1969, Grace became chairman of the board. 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. how privileged we are to have been in a partnership with you for this long.. [1] In 1971, the company opened its first drive-through store, and in 1972, it opened its 100th store. 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. This time, however, it indicated that it wasnt inclined to do so. In the past, corporate simply approved such requests, as stipulated under the 1993 settlement. BDT is a merchant bank that invests in family-owned companies. His friend and associate, Andrew Sneed was also killed. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Dobson was a notorious bachelor, but he had always liked a beautiful young widow he met at the C.I.T. Credit Corporation in Batesville during his auto dealing years. Read more: 2 dead after small plane crashes near Thorsby: Alberta . [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. But perhaps because his dear friend Harmon Dobson was gone, his personal connection no longer seemed to mean as much as it once did. Failed to report flower. Thats quite a success story to tell, though. Their business completed the next day, on April 11, 1967, and the men were going back home. Two years later, three Corpus Christi locations began operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, much to the delight of hungry patrons. Online ordering through Whataburgers app and website debuted in 2019. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Non-family executives, without direct ownership interest in a privately held company, sometimes try to profit from a companys success by heading up a public offering. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). In 1955, Harmon married Grace Williamson. Dobson was raised in a small rural farming community of Cushman, Arkansas. Unflinching, she steadfastly refused. Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Born:? The plane was making unusual noises and was rumored to be having engine trouble. Dobson was involved in the early growth of the franchise from 1950 until his death in an airplane crash in 1967. 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. I am an English & Communication Arts major at St. Marys University. The airplane operated on a flight from Stephenville-Ernest Harmon AFB, NL (YJT) to Terceira-Lajes AFB, Azores (TER). Sorry! The burgers sold back then are the same as the original Whataburger that many Texans still love to 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. Expand the Memories and Condolences form. 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. I hope to become a successful journalist in the future. Harlon Gerry Dobson, of Pittsgrove Township, N.J., died Saturday at Crozier Chester Medical Center in this Philadelphia suburb, where he . I didnt know the history of Whataburger was so interesting. In 1934, Dobson started work as an apprentice ironworker, he later became a shipbuilder at the start of World War II. In the midst of this turmoil, Andrews, who decades earlier had been given exclusive rights to Bexar, Bee, Jim Wells, and Webb counties, decided in 1990 to sell his San Antonio franchises to an outside buyer, in order to better focus on the South Texas market. 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. in 2013. harmon dobson plane crash. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. On April 11, 1967, Dobson and an associate died in an airplane crash, and Dobson's widow, Grace, took control of the business. 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 was involved in the early growth of the franchise from 1950 until his death in an airplane crash in 1967. Treating our customers right. And it is crazy to think how it was once only 35 cents and burger and not they are like 4-5 bucks for the same burger that they sold back then. Dobson faced financial challenges. The price of burgers was raised to 30 cents, and to Burtons chagrin, customers did not mind. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Today Whataburger has over 800 stores in ten states serving up Harmon Dobsons original Whataburger. It isnt a small business anymore, and to keep ahead of the competition, it may have to start acting its size. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. In addition to that, Dobson sold chips and a cold drink with the burger. This was a very interesting story as I am always buying Whataburger and hear that is was once a family restaurant but never really took the time to read and learn about the story. Harmon Archibald Dobson was an American entrepreneur best known as one of the founders of the fast food chain Whataburger.