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Quick Facts
- NAME: Dave Thomas
- OCCUPATION: Entrepreneur, Chef, Television Personality
- BIRTH DATE: July 02, 1932
- DEATH DATE: January 08, 2002
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Atlantic City, New Jersey
- PLACE OF DEATH: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
- Originally: Rex David Thomas
Best Known For
Dave Thomas is the founder of the hamburger chain Wendy's and was their TV spokesman starting in 1989.
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Dave Thomas - Mini Biography (2:15)
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Colonel Sanders - Mini Bio (2:11)
Dave Thomas - Mini Biography
Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas found enormous success with his fast food chain, despite coming from humble beginnings.
Colonel Sanders - Mini Bio
Colonel Sanders is synonymous with Kentucky Fried Chicken. He created the recipe, franchised it, and earned worldwide fame.
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Play NowDave Thomas. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 01:52, May 21, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/dave-thomas-9542110.
Dave Thomas. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/dave-thomas-9542110 [Accessed 21 May 2013].
"Dave Thomas." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 21 2013, 01:52 http://www.biography.com/people/dave-thomas-9542110.
"Dave Thomas," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/dave-thomas-9542110 [accessed May 21, 2013].
"Dave Thomas," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/dave-thomas-9542110 (accessed May 21, 2013).
Dave Thomas [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 21] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/dave-thomas-9542110.
Dave Thomas, http://www.biography.com/people/dave-thomas-9542110 (last visited May 21, 2013).
Dave Thomas. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/dave-thomas-9542110. Accessed May 21, 2013.
A company survey during the 1990s, a decade during which Thomas starred in every Wendy's commercial that aired, found that 90% of Americans knew who Thomas was. After more than 800 commercials, it was clear that Thomas was one of the main reasons behind Wendy's status as the number-three burger restaurant in the country (behind McDonald's and Burger King), with more than 6,000 franchises.
Contents
Personal Life
Thomas also worked throughout his life to promote the adoption of foster children. He founded the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, which promoted the creation of an employee benefits program for people who adopt, as well as a number of other groundbreaking initiatives. President George Bush named him a national spokesman on adoption issues. Thomas, who always regretted not finishing high school, hired a tutor and passed the G.E.D. high-school equivalency exam in 1993.In December 1996, the portly Thomas had quadruple bypass surgery. Though he soon returned to his busy schedule of making commercials, he began undergoing kidney dialysis in early 2001. On January 8, 2002, Thomas died of liver cancer at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at the age of 69.
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