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Dave Thomas was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey on July 2, 1932. Rex and Auleva Thomas adopted him at six weeks old. When Dave was five, Auleva died and his early years were spent moving from state to state while his adoptive father sought work.
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Dave got his first job at age 12 as a counterman at a Knoxville restaurant, and fell in love with the restaurant business.
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He was discharged from the U.S. Army
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In 1962, Dave had a chance to turn around four failing KFC restaurants in Columbus, Ohio owned by his Hobby House boss, Phil Clauss.
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Wendy's was founded by Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969
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His “rags-to-riches” success story earned him the Horatio Alger Award. It was presented to him in 1979 by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, a man he greatly admired.
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In 1982, Thomas resigned from his day-to-day operations at Wendy’s.
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In 1989, he took on a significant role as the TV spokesman in a series of commercials for the brand.
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In 1990, President Bush asked Dave to head the White House Initiative on Adoption.
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He shared his experiences and knowledge he gained in his autobiography, Dave’s Way, published in 1991.
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In 1992, he established the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
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Since he dropped out of high school he finished it later in life.
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Thomas was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 1999
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Dave, an adoptee, had long been an advocate for adoption and led the initiative to create the Adoption stamp which was issued on May 10, 2000.
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He Died with liver Cancer
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Thomas was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2003.
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His original restaurant would remain operational until March 2, 2007, when it was closed due to lagging sales.