Owner, Director and Chairman Kemmons Wilson Companies Founder, Holiday Inns, Inc. Current: Chairman of the Board (Deceased) – Memphis, Tennessee
Kemmons Wilson might be called the father of the modern inn keeping industry. In 1952 he formulated the motor-hotel business idea that has become the Holiday Inn chain of some 1,700 units in over fifty countries; the largest such system in the world. His success formula of standardized rooms, quality control, reasonable prices and family accommodations set a new international standard for lodging. Working since he was 14, Mr. Wilson entered the home building business in 1934 at age 21. Since his retirement from Holiday Inns in 1979 he has been as active as ever, operating real estate, insurance and property management businesses. His many civic activities include the national chairmanship of the 1973 American Heart Association Fund. He has received highest national awards, including the Horatio Alger Award twice. “There are two ways you can get to the top of an oak tree … you can climb it or you can sit on an acorn and wait. I prefer the first way.”
