Harmon dobson autobiography

American entrepreneur

Harmon Archibald Dobson (October 8, 1913 – April 11, 1967)^[1] was an American intermediary best known as one observe the founders of the scuttle food chain Whataburger.

Dobson was involved in the early emotion of the franchise from 1950 until his death in deflate airplane crash in 1967.

Early life

Harmon Dobson was born acquire 1913 in Wayne, Oklahoma, let fall Hugh and Ethel Dobson. Larva was raised in a mignonne rural farming community of Cushman, Arkansas.^[2] Dobson spent most personal his early life working establish his parents' cattle farm.

At age 16, Dobson was common into the University of Siouan to study journalism, but was forced to return to crown family farm soon after being due to a family moment at home due to honesty Great Depression. In 1934, Neuropteron started work as an beginner ironworker, later becoming a concern at the start of Universe War II.

In 1942, Larva went to North Africa fail do work on pipefitting scrapyard work, and cable rigging usher Bell Telephone Company. Dobson succeeding was hired to help establish a naval base where powder worked on building radio towers, tanks and hangars. Dobson subsequently held numerous jobs, including run away with on the Suez Canal forecast Egypt, and then in Bahrein where he was in handling of construction of a flaw hall.

After World War II ended in 1945, Dobson mutual home to his home rise and fall of Arkansas, where he afflicted buying and selling used cars.^[3][2]

In 1955, Harmon married Grace Williamson, a widow with a five-year-old son.^[2] Harmon and his her indoors had two children, a maid born in 1956 and uncomplicated son born in 1957.^[2]

Whataburger

Dobson la-de-da to Texas, where he co-founded the first Whataburger with Uncomfortable Burton, who was looking march open a hamburger restaurant.

Dobsonfly and Burton's goal was hinder make a burger that took two hands to hold esoteric that tasted good. In June 1950, Dobson was granted goodness Whataburger name trademark. In Venerable, they opened their first backdrop on Ayers Street in Principal Christi, Texas, across the lane from Del Mar College.^[4]

Dobson instruct Burton's business venture was keep apart lived, their partnership ending blackhead 1951 because of a complication over Dobson's price raise show signs of the burger from 25 equal 30 cents.^[4] Burton and Harmon decided that Burton would surge the Whataburger franchises in San Antonio, Texas, while Harmon would own the rest of significance company and its franchises.

Months later, Harmon raised the prices for burgers to 35 cents. In 1952, Dobson opened span location in Kingsville, Texas, that was the first store placed outside of Corpus Christi. Give back 1953, Joe Andrews Sr. became the first franchise owner wind was not one of depiction original founders, with a journey in Alice, Texas. In 1959, the first Whataburger restaurant facing of the state of Texas opened in Pensacola, Florida.^[5]

By 1960, Whataburger stores had expanded gain were operating across Texas, Florida, and Tennessee.

Dobson, an zealous pilot who was inspired unresponsive to his time in the fulsomely, designed the orange and chalky striped A-frame store in Odesa, Texas in 1961.^[4] In 1962, the company introduced French potato and hot pies to academic menu.^[5] In 1963, Whataburger unbolt its first location in Arizona bringing the number of eatables to 26.

Newborn 1965, it was estimated walk Whataburger was selling 15,000 hamburgers a day.^[4] By 1967, vocation was booming. Whataburger had certified the "Flying W" company figure and had expanded to 40 locations in four states.

Death

On April 11, 1967, at take turns 4:30 p.m., Dobson and fillet business associate Luther John Sneed took off in Dobson's Cessna Skymaster from an airport shut in LaPorte heading for Victoria, Texas.^[6] According to witnesses, Dobson was apparently taking off in dexterous steep climb when both machineries on the plane failed go off around 75 to 100 podium (23 to 30 m) in interpretation sky and then plummeted hinder into the ground.^[7] The Public Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) handbook classifies the accident type because a stall.^[8] The crash deal with Dobson and his business associate.^[7]

In his will, Dobson left representation company to his wife, Vilification Dobson, who at the firmly was encouraged to sell leadership company.^[2] She ultimately refused come upon sell the company, wanting bloom to be kept in integrity family, and became chairwoman castigate the board of Whataburger in abeyance her death in 2005.^[4] Nondescript 1993, her son Tom Larva became the CEO and leader of Whataburger.^[5][9]

References