Norman E. Brinker
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Norman E. Brinker is the founder of Brinker International, one of the largest restaurant holding companies in North America. A prominent restaurateur, Mr. Brinker has also helmed such companies as Jack in the Box, Steak and Ale, Bennigan's, Burger King and Chili's
[edit] History
Mr. Brinker rose to prominence when he became president of the fast food restaurant Jack in the Box in the early 1960s. When the chain was sold, Mr. Brinker moved to Texas and founded two companies, Brinks coffee house in 1964 which he sold to found the Steak and Ale chain 1966.[1]
[edit] Personal
Norman Brinker was born on June 30, 1931 in Denver, Colorado, as an only child. His parents later moved to a 10-acre farm in Roswell, New Mexico. As a child Norman took on odd jobs to supplement the family's modest income, creating a rabbit farm at the age of 10, managing a "120-mile-long" paper route and buying and selling horses to make ends meet for the family. In high school he attended the New Mexico Military Institute. He later served in the Navy, which brought him to San Diego, California. An avid and talented polo enthusiast, in 1952 Brinker was a member of the Olympic Equestrian team, competing in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland and later competed in the 1954 pentathlon competition at the world championships in Budapest. He later attended San Diego State University (SDSU) and graduated in 1957 at the age of 26.
In June 1955 Norman married tennis legend Maureen Connolly, also known as "Little Mo". The couple shared a passion for horses. Tragically her career ended due to a freak accident on a horse at the age of 18. The couple had two daughters, Cindy Brinker (Simmons), who was born in 1957, and Brenda Brinker (Bottum), who was born in 1959. Maureen passed away at the age of 34 on June 21, 1969 after a 3-year-long battle with ovarian cancer. The relationship between Norman and Maureen is immortalized in a 1978 film, "Little Mo", which starred Glynnis O'Connor as Maureen, Mark Harmon as Norman and Anne Baxter as Maureen's mother.
Brinker had a brief second marriage to a woman named Margaret, whom he divorced in 1976.
In February 1981 Norman married a third time, to Nancy Brinker (nee Nancy Goodman). The marriage provided Nancy with funding and an immediate network of financial and political support for the foundation dedicated to the memory of Nancy's sister Susan G. Komen, which became the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure and related Komen Race for the Cure. Nancy has a son, Eric, from a previous marriage. The couple were active Bush Pioneers, wealthy donors who provided $100,000 or more of financial support for George W. Bush's presidential ambitions.
On January 22, 1993 Norman was seriously injured during a polo match in a high speed collision with another rider at the West Palm Beach Polo and Hunt Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Suffering serious head injuries and in what was anticipated to be a prolonged coma, three days after the accident Norman was succeeded by Ron A. McDougall as chief executive officer of Brinker International.
[edit] References
- ^ Peter Romeo (1988-12-19). Brinker: a man with a vision - Norman Brinker, Chili's Inc. Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved on 2008-03-03. “His vision proved accurate. He sold Brink's in two years and began to work on his next plan. What he conceptualized was a full-service restaurant where middle-class consumers could treat themselves to steak for a reasonable price. He named the concept Steak and Ale.”
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Maureen Connolly Brinker Foundation
