Carl Karcher | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Karcher in 1981 | |
| Born | Carl Nicholas Karcher (1917-01-16)January 16, 1917 Upper Sandusky, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | January 11, 2008(2008-01-11) (aged 90) Fullerton, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Holy Sepulchre Cemetery,Orange, California |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1941–1993 |
| Spouse | Margaret Karcher (m. 1939–2006; her death) |
Carl Nicholas KarcherSMOM (January 16, 1917 – January 11, 2008)[1] was an American businessman who founded theCarl's Jr. hamburger chain, now owned by parent company Snow Star LP.
Born on a farm nearUpper Sandusky, Ohio, Karcher was the son of Ohio natives Leo and Anna Maria (Kuntz) Karcher. Leo Karcher's grandparents immigrated from Belgium; Anna Maria Kuntz was of German ancestry. Carl N. Karcher moved toAnaheim, California, where his uncle ran a small business. He was hired by his uncle and worked for him for three years, and later dropped that job to work at a bakery as a delivery boy which increased his weekly salary by $6. He married Margaret Magdalen Heinz Karcher in 1939.[2]
Karcher and his wife started their first business, a hot dog stand, on July 17, 1941, in Los Angeles when theyborrowed $311 against their Plymouth automobile and added $15 from Margaret's purse.[3][4] The stand initially soldhot dogs andMexicantamales. On his 28th birthday, January 16, 1945, they opened their first restaurant,Carl's Drive-In Barbecue, in Anaheim.[4][5]
Their restaurant quickly expanded, with the restaurants numbering 100 by 1974 and over 300 by 1981. Karcher was investigated and sued by theSecurities and Exchange Commission forinsider trading after allegedly telling family members to sell their stock in advance of a poor earnings report. Karcher settled the case in July 1989 for $664,000.[6] Karcher served as chairman andCEO of the company until its own board of directors voted him out in 1993 after years of infighting over strategy.[7]
Karcher objected to the sexualized nature of the Carl's Jr. ad campaigns of the 2000s, and was said to have been "heartbroken that a company he founded on Christian principles has taken such an amoral act."[8]
Karcher died on January 11, 2008, from complications ofParkinson's disease, at age 90, just five days before he would have turned 91.[9]
Karcher received numerous awards for his philanthropy, including, in 1979, theHoratio Alger Award "for his distinction in accomplishments through individual initiative, hard work and adherence to traditional ideals."[10]
Karcher was a member of theKnights of Malta. He also received the Pope John XXIII Award from the Italian Catholic Federation for "best exemplifying benevolent, philosophical and charitable principles."[11]
On January 16, 2007, 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.[12]
Karcher was a devout Catholic and an active member of theSovereign Military Order of Malta. He attended mass daily at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Anaheim prior to going to work at his office.[13] Carl and Margaret had 12 children.[4] Their son, Jerome T. Karcher, who is a priest in theRoman Catholic Diocese of Orange, received the Man of Character Award from theBoy Scouts of America for founding Mercy House inOrange County for the homeless.[14]
Karcher was a lifelong supporter ofconservative causes and was known to lead thePledge of Allegiance to the American flag at the beginning of CKE board meetings.
Karcher was an early supporter ofJohn Schmitz, a Republican and member of theJohn Birch Society, who represented Orange County in theCalifornia State Senate and later Congress.[15] Schmitz was the presidential nominee of theAmerican Independent Party in1972.
In 1978, he contributed US$1 million to California'sProposition 6 initiative, also known as theBriggs Initiative,[9] which would have bannedLGBT people from serving in California public schools. He was the initiative's biggest financial supporter.[citation needed]