Rex David "Dave" Thomas (July 2, 1932 – January 8, 2002) was an American businessman and philanthropist. Thomas was the founder and CEO of Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers, a fast food restaurant chain specializing in hamburgers. He is also known for personally appearing in over 800 commercial advertisements for the chain from 1989 to 2002, more than any other person in television history. He had such presence in these ads that many believed he was a professional actor. July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) is a leap year starting on a Friday. ... January 8 is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2002 (MMII) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A businessman (sometimes businesswoman, female; or businessperson, gender neutral) is a generic term for a wide range of people engaged in profit-oriented enterprises, generally the management of a company. ... A philanthropist is someone who devotes his or her time, money, or effort towards helping others. ... Wendys is a chain of fast-food restaurants founded by Dave Thomas and owned by the United States corporation, Wendys International, Inc. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Hamburgers often contain lettuce, onions, and other toppings, as shown here. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2002 (MMII) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ...

Thomas was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He never knew or met either of his birth parents. He was adopted by a Lebanese (this is disputed) family in Michigan as an infant; he would become a well-known advocate for adoption, founding the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption in 1992. Atlantic City is a city located in Atlantic County, New Jersey, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 40,517. ... State nickname: The Garden State Official languages None defined Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Governor Richard Codey (D) Acting, Outgoing Jon Corzine (D) (Governor-Elect) Senators Jon Corzine (D) (Outgoing) Frank Lautenberg (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 47th 22,608 km² 14. ... Adoption is the legal act of permanently placing a child with a parent or parents other than the birth parents. ...

He dropped out of high school at age 15 and moved in with the family who owned the Hobby House Restaurant and focused on ways to promote the restaurant.

During the Korean War, he volunteered for the army to avoid the draft and have some choice in assignments. Having experience in overseeing the feeding of others, Thomas chose Cook and Bakers School at Ft. Benning, Georgia. He was sent overseas to Germany as a mess sergeant and was responsible for feeding 2000 soldiers daily. He attributes this experience in mass feedings to his success in fast food. He was discharged in 1953 as a staff sergeant.

He was then offered a chance to turn around a failing Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. Working with KFC founder Col. Harland Sanders, Dave turned four ailing stores into million-dollar successes. He later sold his KFC franchises and opened his first Wendy's in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... A portrait of Col. ... Columbus is the capital of the U.S. state of Ohio. ... State nickname: The Buckeye State Official languages None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland) Governor Bob Taft (R) Senators Mike DeWine (R) George V. Voinovich (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 34th 116,096 km² 8. ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday For other uses, see Number 1969. ...

Thomas, realizing that his success as a high-school dropout might convince other teenagers to do so (something he later admitted was a mistake), studied for and finally earned his GED in 1993. The Ged is the name in heraldry for the fish pike. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...

Thomas died in 2002 at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida after a decade-long struggle with liver cancer. At the time of his death, there were over 6000 Wendy's restaurants operating in North America. 2002 (MMII) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fort Lauderdale, known as the Venice of America, is a city located in Broward County, Florida, United States. ... State nickname: Sunshine State Other U.S. States Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville (largest metropolitan area is Miami) Governor Jeb Bush (R) Senators Bill Nelson (D) Mel Martinez (R) Official language(s) English Area 170,451 km² (22nd)  - Land 137,374 km²  - Water 30,486 km² (17. ... Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, also called hepatoma) is a primary malignancy (cancer) of the liver. ...

See also

• Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers

Wendys logo Wendys is a chain of fast-food restaurants founded by the late Dave Thomas and owned by the United States corporation, Wendys International, Inc. ...

References

• wendys.com (7 January 2003). "Dave Thomas Biography". Retrieved 1 June 2005

January 7 is the seventh day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Wendy's tribute to Dave Thomas