Carl Karcher

Infobox Person
name = Carl N. Karcher

|100px
birth_date = birth date|1917|1|16
birth_place = Upper Sandusky, Ohio, United States
death_date = death date and age|2008|1|11|1917|1|16
death_place = Fullerton, California, United States
occupation = Restaurateur

Carl Nicholas Karcher, SMOM (January 16 1917 – January 11 2008) was the American founder of the Carl's Jr. hamburger chain, now owned by parent company CKE Restaurants, Inc.

Born on a farm near Upper Sandusky, Ohio, Karcher was the son of Ohio natives Leo and Anna Maria (Kuntz) Karcher. Leo Karcher's grandparents had immigrated from Belgium; Anna Maria Kuntz was of German ancestry. Carl N. Karcher moved to Anaheim, California, where his uncle ran a small business. He was hired by his uncle and worked for him for three years, later he dropped that job to work at a bakery as a delivery boy which doubled his salary monthly. He married Margaret Magdalen Heinz Karcher in 1939. [cite book |last=Schlosser |first=Eric |authorlink=Eric Schlosser |title=Fast Food Nation |year=2002 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin |location=New York |pages=14-15 |isbn=0-06-093845-5]

Karcher and his wife started their first business, a hot dog stand, on July 17 1941 in Los Angeles, California when they borrowed $311 against their Plymouth automobile and added $15 from Margaret's purse. [cite book |last=Schlosser |first=Eric |authorlink=Eric Schlosser |title=Fast Food Nation |year=2002 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin |location=New York |pages=15 |isbn=0-06-093845-5] The stand initially sold hot dogs and Mexican tamales. On January 16 1945, they opened their first restaurant, Carl's Drive-In Barbecue in Anaheim. [cite book |last=Schlosser |first=Eric |authorlink=Eric Schlosser |title=Fast Food Nation |year=2002 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin |location=New York |pages=18 |isbn=0-06-093845-5]

Their restaurant quickly grew and they opened several more restaurants, numbering 100 by 1974 and more than 300 by 1981. He served for a time as Chairman and CEO of the company.

He has been awarded the Horatio Alger Award for outstanding individual initiative and commitment to excellence while assisting those less fortunate.

On January 16 2007, which was his 90th birthday, Karcher and his deceased wife Margaret were recognized with the placement of a star on the Anaheim/Orange County Walk of Stars. [ Karcher ]

His son Jerome Karcher, who is a priest for the Orange County Diocese, has recently received the Man of Character Award from the Boy Scouts of America for creating mercy houses in Orange County for the homeless and those with AIDS.

Karcher died on January 11 2008 from complications of Parkinson's Disease. [ [http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/LAF08411012008-1.htm Carl N. Karcher, Founder of Carl's Jr.(R), Dies] , "CNN Money", January 11 2008]

Political activities

Karcher had been a lifelong supporter of Conservative causes and contributed to several anti-abortion and anti-gay initiatives. [ [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aZw1oI3lTNDg&refer=muse Carl Karcher, Founder of Carl's Jr. Chain, Dies at 90] , Bloomberg.com, January 13 2008]

Karcher was an early supporter of John Schmitz, a right-wing Republican and member of the John Birch Society who represented Orange County in the state senate and later Congress.

In 1978, he provided $1 million dollars to California's Proposition 6, also known as the Briggs Initiative. He was the initiative's biggest financial supporter. The proposition was a ballot measure requiring the termination of all gays and lesbians from employment in public schools. The initiative was defeated by over one million votes.

Notes

cite news
last = Campbell
first = Bill
title = Bill Campbell's Third District Report
publisher = Board of Supervisors, Orange County, California
date = 2007-01-19
url = http://www.ocgov.com
accessdate = 2007-01-19

References

External links

* [http://www.carlsjr.com/company/karcher Biography and video on CarlsJr.com]