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Article: Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson. (In Memoriam).(Obituary)
- Article from:
- Franchising World
- Article date:
- April 1, 2003
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 International Franchise Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Kemmons Wilson, 90, founder of Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, passed away February 12 at his home in Memphis, Tenn. He was honored by the International Franchise Association in 1982 as the organization's first Entrepreneur of the Year, and again in 1989, when the association bestowed upon him its most prestigious honor, the Hall of Fame Award.
Wilson opened the first Holiday Inn hotel on August 1, 1952, in Memphis after he returned from a family road trip discouraged over the lack of family and value-oriented lodging.
From this experience, Wilson's vision emerged and an American icon was born. He created a place where children stayed free and families ...