Kemmons Wilson: Founder of Holiday Inn Dies at 90

Kemmons Wilson was an American businessman who founded the Holiday Inn hotel chain. Born on January 5, 1913, in Osceola, Arkansas, he opened the first Holiday Inn in Memphis in 1952 after a frustrating family road trip.

He franchised the chain in 1957, and the 1,000th Holiday Inn opened in 1968. He bought Continental Trailways in 1968, retired from Holiday Inn in 1979 and later formed Wilson World Hotels. He was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 1982.

Wilson was married to Dorothy Lee Wilson from 1941 until her death in 2001 and had five children. He died in Memphis, Tennessee, on February 12, 2003, at age 90.

Achievements: Founded Holiday Inn (1952), Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame (1982).

Birth: January 5, 1913 - Osceola, Arkansas.

Profession: Hotelier and businessman.

Interesting Facts: The name Holiday Inn came from the 1942 Bing Crosby film, a joke by his architect.