What did Kemmons Wilson do?
Christopher Pierce
Updated on March 01, 2026
Kemmons Wilson entered the hotel industry by opening his first Holiday Inn on August 1, 1952 in Memphis, Tennessee. He revolutionized the industry by allowing children to stay for free and providing swimming pools, air conditioning, free cribs, telephones, television, ice and free parking.
Why did Kemmons Wilson develop the chain of hotels known as the Holiday Inn?
Kemmons Wilson, a resident of Memphis, Tennessee, was inspired to build a motel after being disappointed by the poor quality of roadside accommodations during a family road trip to Washington, D.C. During construction, the name “Holiday Inn” was coined by Wilson’s architect Eddie Bluestein as a joking reference to the …
Where is Kemmons Wilson born?
Osceola, AR
Kemmons Wilson/Place of birth
Is Kemmons Wilson still alive?
Deceased (1913–2003)
Kemmons Wilson/Living or Deceased
What well known company did Kemmons Wilson start?
Charles Kemmons Wilson (1913–2003) Charles Kemmons Wilson was a businessman who founded the Holiday Inn hotel chain. Called the “Father of the Modern Hotel,” he revolutionized the travel industry by providing affordable, comfortable, dependable lodging.
Who started holiday in?
Kemmons Wilson
Holiday Inn/Founders
What hotel company did Kemmons Wilson start?
Holiday Inn
Kemmons Wilson — who was so angered by the shabby lodgings he encountered on a family vacation in 1951 that he vowed to start a motel chain, a decision that led to Holiday Inn — died on Wednesday at his home in Memphis. He was 90.
Who started the Holiday Inn?
Holiday Inn/Founders
Kemmons Wilson, who founded the Holiday Inn chain of hotels and revolutionized the industry by bringing affordable and comfortable lodging to millions of travelers, has died at the age of 90.
When was Kemmons Wilson born?
January 5, 1913
Kemmons Wilson/Date of birth
Who started Holiday Inn hotels?
What is the oldest holiday in the world?
Halloween
Halloween, celebrated annually on October 31, is one of the world’s oldest holidays. Although it’s derived from ancient festivals and religious rituals, Halloween is still widely celebrated today in a number of countries around the globe.
Who was Charles Kemmons Wilson?
The life of Charles Kemmons Wilson, the founder of the ‘Holiday Inn’ chain of hotels, is the perfect example of a rags-to-riches story.
Where did Jimmie Kemmons live as a child?
He was born in Osceola, Arkansas, the only child of Kemmons and Ruby “Doll” Wilson. His father was an insurance salesman who died when Kemmons was nine months old. Shortly thereafter, his mother, Doll, moved the two to Memphis, Tennessee, where he was raised solely by his mother. Wilson was married to Dorothy Lee.
Who were Charles Kemmons and Dorothy Lee?
Charles Kemmons Wilson was born in Osceola, AR on January 5, 1913. His father died when he was 9 months old so his mother, Ruby “Doll” Wilson, moved to Memphis to care for her son. Dorothy Elizabeth Lee was born in Memphis, TN on Feb. 7, 1917. The two were introduced by a mutual friend and Kemmons and Dorothy married in Memphis on Dec. 2, 1941.
When did Dorothy married Kemmons Wilson?
After four years of dating (and working), Dorothy married the ambitious Kemmons Wilson on December 2, 1941 in Memphis, TN. Dorothy continued to work in the family business when Kemmons asked her to work the ticket counter at his newest venture, Airways Theater.