Colonal sanders
According to to his 1974 autobiography autobiography,, before before Harland Harland Sanders became became a world-famous Colonel, he was a sith-grade dropout, a farmhand, an army mule-tender, a locomoti!e fireman, a railroad wor"er, an aspiring lawyer, an insurance salesman, a ferryboat entrepreneur, a tire salesman, an amateur obstetrician, an #unsuccessful$ political candidate, a gas station operator, a motel operator and finally, a restaurateur% At the age of &', a new new interstate interstate highway snatched snatched the the traffic traffic away from his Corbin, (y%, restaurant and Sanders was left with nothing but a Social Security chec" and a secret recipe for fried chic"en% As it turned turned out, that was all he needed% needed% Sanders was born in Henry!ille, )nd%, in 1*9+% Si years later, his father died, forcing his mother to enter the wor"force to support the family% At the tender age of si, young Harland was responsible for ta"ing care of his younger siblings and doing much of the familys
coo"ing% A year later he was already a master of se!eral regional dishes% !er the course of the net .+ years, Sanders held many of the /obs listed abo!e, but throughout it all his s"ill as a coo" remained% )n 19.+, the then 4+-year-old Sanders was operating a ser!ice station in Corbin, (entuc"y, and it was there that he began coo"ing for hungry tra!elers who stopped in for gas% He didnt ha!e a restaurant yet, so patrons ate from his own dining table in the stations humble li!ing 0uarters% )t was then that he in!ented whats called home meal replacement2 3
selling complete meals to busy, time-strapped families% He called it, Sunday inner, Se!en ays a 5ee"%2 As Sanders fame grew, grew, 6o!ernor 6o!ernor uby 8affoon 8affoon made him a (entuc"y Colonel in 19.' in recognition of his contributions to the states cuisine% 5ithin four years, his establishment was listed in uncan Hines Ad!entures in 6ood ating%2
As more people people started coming strictly strictly for the food, he mo!ed across the street to increase his capacity% !er the net decade, he perfected his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices and the basic coo"ing techni0ue that is still used today% )n 19'', confident of the 0uality of his fried chic"en, the Colonel de!oted himself to de!eloping his chic"en franchising business% 8ess than 1+ years later, Sanders had more than &++ (:C franchises in the ;%S% and Canada, and in 19&4 he sold his interest in the ;%S% company for <= million to a group of in!estors including >ohn ?% @rown >r% #who later became go!ernor of (entuc"y$% ;ntil he was fatally stric"en with leu"emia in 19*+ at the age of 9+, the Colonel tra!eled ='+,+++ miles a year !isiting (:C restaurants around the world% His li"eness continues to appear on millions of buc"ets and on thousands of restaurants in more than 1++ countries around the world%
ot bad for a man who started from scratch at retirement age%
Colonel Sanders :rom 5i"ipedia, the free encyclopedia Colonel Sanders
Sanders in October 1972 Born
Harland David Sanders September 9, 1890 Henryville, Indiana, nited States
Died
December 1!, 1980 "a#ed 90$ %o&isville, 'ent&c(y, )S)
Ca&se o* deat+
Complications *rom pne&moniaand le&(emia
ationality
-merican
.d&cation
%a Salle ./tension niversity
Occ&pation
B&sinessman
Board member o*
'ent&c(y ried C+ic(en"*o&nder$
eli#ion
Disciples o* C+rist
Spo&se"s$
osep+ine 'in# "divorced$ Cla&dia 3rice
C+ildren
Harland David Sanders, r) 4ar#aret Sanders 4ildred Sanders &##les
3arents
5ilb&r David Sanders 4ar#aret -nn Sanders (née Dunlevy)61
Si#nat&re
Colonel Harland a!id Sanders Ba #September 9, 1*9+ D ecember 1&, 19*+$ was an American businessman, best "nown for founding (entuc"y :ried Chic"en #(:C$, and later acting as the companys goodwill ambassador and symbol% Sanders held a number of /obs in his early life, such as a fireman, insurance salesman and running filling stations% He began selling fried chic"en from his roadside restaurant in Corbin, (entuc"y, during the 6reat epression% Sanders identified the potential of the
restaurant franchising concept, and the first (:C franchise opened in ;tah in 19'=% Ehe companys rapid epansion across the ;nited States and o!erseas saw it o!erwhelm him howe!er, and in 19&4 he sold the company to a group of in!estors led by >ohn ?% @rown, >r% and >ac" C% Fassey for <= million% Contents Bhide •
1 arly life and education
•
= arly career
•
. 8ater career
•
4 Gublic image
•
' eath
•
& 8egacy
•
7 :ootnotes
•
* :urther reading
•
9 See also
•
1+ ternal lin"s Early life and education Bedit
Sanders was born on September 9, 1*9+ in a four-room house located . miles #' "m$ east of Henry!ille, )ndiana%B= He was the oldest of three children born to 5ilbur a!id and Fargaret Ann #ne unle!y$ Sanders% B= Ehe family attended the Ad!ent Christian Church%B. Ehe family were of mostly )rish and nglish ancestry% His father was a mild and affectionate man who wor"ed his *+ acre farm, until he bro"e his leg after a fall% B= He then wor"ed as a butcher in Henry!ille for two years% B= ne summer afternoon in 1*9', he came home with a fe!er and died later that day% B= Sanders mother obtained wor" in a
tomato-canning factoryI and the young Harland was re0uired to loo" after and coo" for his siblings% B=5hen he was 1+ he began to wor" as a farmhand for local farmers Charlie orris and Henry Fon"% Sanders mother remarried in 19+=, and the family mo!ed to 6reenwood, )ndiana%B4 Sanders had a tumultuous relationship with his stepfather, and in 19+. he dropped out of school, and went to li!e and wor" on a nearby farm%B4 He then too" a /ob painting horse carriages in )ndianapolis%B4 5hen he was 14 he mo!ed to southern )ndiana to wor" as a farmhand for Sam 5ilson for two years% B4 )n 19+&, with his mothers appro!al, he left the area to li!e with his uncle in ew Albany, )ndiana%B' His uncle wor"ed for the streetcar company, and secured Sanders a /ob as a conductor% B& Early careerBedit
Sanders falsified his date of birth and enlisted in the ;nited States Army in o!ember 19+&, completing his ser!ice commitment as a teamster in Cuba% B' He was honorably discharged after three months and in 19+7 mo!ed to Sheffield, Alabama, where an uncle li!ed% B' Ehere, he met his brother Clarence who had also mo!ed there in order to escape his stepfather% B' Ehe uncle wor"ed for the Southern ailroad, and secured Sanders a /ob there as a blac"smiths helper in the wor"shops% B4 After two months, Sanders mo!ed to >asper, Alabama where he got a /ob cleaning out the ash pans of trains from the orthern Alabama ailroad #a di!ision of the Southern ailroad$ when they had finished their run% B4 Sanders progressed to become a fireman at the age of 1&% B4 )n 19+9 Sanders found laboring wor" with the orfol" and 5estern ailway%B4 5hilst wor"ing on the railroad, he met >osephine (ing of >asper, Alabama, and they were married shortly afterwards% Ehey would go on to ha!e a son, Harland, >r%, who died young in 19.= from infected tonsils, and two daughters, Fargaret Sanders and Fildred Sanders uggles% B7B* He then found wor" as a fireman on the )llinois Central ailroad, and he and his family mo!ed to >ac"son, Eennessee%B4 Feanwhile, Sanders studied law by correspondence at night through the 8a Salle tension ;ni!ersity% B4 Sanders lost his /ob at )llinois after brawling with a wor" colleague% B9 5hile Sanders mo!ed to wor" for the oc" )sland ailroad, >osephine and the children went to li!e with her parents% B4 After a while, Sanders began to practice law in 8ittle oc" for three years, and he earned enough fees for his family to mo!e with him% B4 His legal career ended after he got engaged in a courtroom brawl with his own client% B1+
After that, Sanders mo!ed bac" with his mother in Henry!ille, and went to wor" as a laborer on the Gennsyl!ania ailroad%B4 )n 191&, the family mo!ed to >efferson!ille, where Sanders got a /ob selling life insurance for the Grudential 8ife )nsurance Company %B4 Sanders was e!entually fired for insubordination% B11 He mo!ed to 8ouis!ille and got a salesman /ob with Futual @enefit 8ife of ew >ersey%B11 )n 19=+, Sanders established a ferry boat company, which operated a boat on the hio i!er between >efferson!ille and 8ouis!ille% B4 He can!assed for funding, becoming a minority shareholder himself, and was appointed secretary of the company% B4 Ehe ferry was an instant success% B1= )n around 19== he too" a /ob as secretary at the Chamber of Commerce in Columbus, )ndiana%B4 He admitted to not being !ery good at the /ob, and resigned after less than a year% B4 Sanders cashed in his ferry boat company shares for <==,+++ and used the money to establish a company manufacturing acetylene lamps%B4 Ehe !enture failed after elco introduced an electric lamp that they sold on credit% Sanders mo!ed to 5inchester, (entuc"y, to wor" as a salesman for the Fichelin Eire Company%B4 He lost his /ob in 19=4 when Fichelin closed their ew >ersey manufacturing plant% B1. )n 19=4, by chance, he met the general manager of Standard il of (entuc"y, who as"ed him to run a ser!ice station in icholas!ille%B4 )n 19.+, the station closed as a result of the 6reat epression% B14 Later careerBedit
Ehe restaurant in Corbin, (entuc"ywhere Colonel Sanders de!eloped (entuc"y :ried Chic"en
Ehe worlds first (:C franchise, located in South Salt 8a"e, ;tah )n 19.+, the Shell il Company offered Sanders a ser!ice station in Corbin, (entuc"y rent free, in return for paying them a percentage of sales% B4 Sanders began to ser!e chic"en dishes and other meals such as country ham and stea"s%B1' Since he did not ha!e a restaurant, he ser!ed the customers in his ad/acent li!ing 0uarters% He was commissioned as a (entuc"y Colonel in 19.' by (entuc"y go!ernor uby 8affoon% His local popularity grew, and in 19.9 food critic uncan Hines !isited Sanderss restaurant and included it in Adventures in Good Eating , his guide to restaurants throughout the ;S% Ehe entry readJ Corbin, (?% Sanders Court and Caf 41 — Jct. with 25, 25 E. ½ Mi. N. of or!in. "#en a$$ %ear e&ce#t '(as.
A !ery good place to stop en route to Cumberland :alls and the 6reat Smo"ies% Continuous =4-hour ser!ice% SiKKling stea"s, fried chic"en, country ham, hot biscuits% 8% '+L to <1I %, &+L to <1 )n >uly 19.9 Sanders ac0uired a motel in Ashe!ille, orth Carolina%B1& His Corbin restaurant and motel was destroyed in a fire in o!ember 19.9, and Sanders had it rebuilt as a motel with a 14+ seat restaurant% B1& @y >uly 194+, Sanders had finaliKed his M Secret ecipeM for frying chic"en in a pressure fryer that coo"ed the chic"en faster than pan frying% As the ;nited States entered 5orld 5ar )) in ecember 1941, gas was rationed, and as the tourists dried up, Sanders was forced to close his Ashe!ille motel% He went to wor" as a super!isor in Seattle until the latter part of 194=%B4 He later ran cafeterias for the go!ernment at an rdinance 5or"s in Eennessee, followed by a /ob as an assistant manager at a cafeteria in a" idge, Eennessee%B4 He left his mistress, Claudia 8edington-Grice, as manager of the Corbin restaurant and motel% B4 )n 194= he sold the Ashe!ille business% B4)n 1947, he and >osephine di!orced and Sanders married Claudia in 1949, as he had long desired% B17 Sanders was Mre-commissionedM as a (entuc"y Colonel in 1949 by his friend, 6o!ernor 8awrence 5etherby%B1* )n 19'=, Sanders franchised M(entuc"y :ried Chic"enM for the first time, to Gete Harman of South Salt 8a"e, ;tah, the operator of one of that citys largest restaurants% B19 )n the first year of selling the product, restaurant sales more than tripled, with 7'N of the increase coming from sales of fried chic"en% B=+ :or Harman, the addition of fried chic"en was a way of differentiating his restaurant from competitorsI in ;tah, a product hailing from (entuc"y was uni0ue and e!o"ed imagery of Southern hospitality%
B=1
on Anderson, a sign painter hired by Harman, coined the name )entuc*% +ried hic*en%B=1
Sanders signing his autograph, 1974% At age &' #around 19''$, Sanders sold his Corbin outlet after the new )nterstate 7' reduced his restaurants customer traffic% B==B=. Sanders decided to begin to franchise his chic"en concept in earnest, and tra!eled the ;S loo"ing for suitable restaurants% After closing the Corbin site, Sanders and his wife Claudia opened a new restaurant and company head0uarters in Shelby!ille in 19'9% B=4 Ehe franchise approach became highly successfulI (:C was one of the first fast food chains to epand internationally, opening outlets in Canada and later in ngland, Feico and >amaica by the mid-19&+s% Ehe companys rapid epansion to more than &++ locations became o!erwhelming for the aging Sanders% )n 19&4 he sold the (entuc"y :ried Chic"en corporation for <= million to a partnership of (entuc"y businessmen headed by >ohn ?% @rown, >r% #a then-=9-year-old lawyer and future go!ernor of (entuc"y$ and >ac" C% Fassey #a !enture capitalist and entrepreneur$, and he became a salaried brand ambassador% Ehe initial deal did not include the Canadian operations #which Sanders retained$ or the franchising rights in ngland, :lorida, ;tah, and Fontana #which Sanders had already sold to others$% B=' )n 19&' Sanders mo!ed to Fississauga, ntario to o!ersee his Canadian franchises and continued to collect franchise and appearance fees both in Canada and in the ;%S% Sanders bought and li!ed in a bungalow at 1..7 Felton ri!e in the 8a"e!iew area of Fississauga from 19&' to 19*+% B=& )n
September 197+ he and his wife were baptiKed in the >ordan i!er %B=7 He also befriended @illy 6raham and >erry :alwell%B=7 Sanders and his wife reopened their Shelby!ille restaurant as MClaudia Sanders, Ehe Colonels 8adyM and ser!ed (:C-style chic"en there as part of a full-ser!ice dinner menu, and tal"ed about epanding the restaurant into a chain% B=* He was sued by the company for it% B=*B=9 )n 197., he sued Heublein )nc%3the then parent company of (entuc"y :ried Chic"en3o!er the alleged misuse of his image in promoting products he had not helped de!elop% )n 197', Heublein )nc% unsuccessfully sued Sanders for libel after he publicly described their gra!y as Mwallpaper pasteM to which MsludgeM was added% B.+ After reaching a settlement with Heublein, he sold the Colonels 8ady restaurant, and it has continued to operate since then #currently as the MClaudia Sanders inner HouseM$% B=*B=9 )t ser!es his Moriginal recipeM fried chic"en as part of its #non-fast-food$ dinner menu, and it is the only non(:C restaurant that ser!es an authoriKed !ersion of the fried chic"en recipe% B.1B.= Public imageBedit
After being recommissioned as a (entuc"y colonel in 19'+ by 6o!ernor 8awrence 5etherby, Sanders began to dress the part, growing a goatee and wearing a blac" froc" coat#later switching to a white suit$, a string tie, and referring to himself as MColonelM% B1* His associates went along with the title change, M/o"ingly at first and then in earnestM, according to biographer >osh Kers"y%B== He ne!er wore anything else in public during the last =+ years of his life, using a hea!y wool suit in the winter and a light cotton suit in the summer% B== He bleached his mustache and goatee to match his white hair% B17 DeathBedit
6ra!esite of Harland Sanders%
Sanders remains the official face of (entuc"y :ried Chic"en, and appears on its logo Sanders later used his stoc" holdings to create the Colonel Harland Sanders Erust and Colonel Harland Sanders Charitable rganiKation, which used the proceeds to aid charities and fund scholarships% His trusts continue to donate money to groups li"e the Erillium Health Care CentreI a wing of their building specialiKes in womens and childrens care and has been named after him% B.. Ehe Sidney, @ritish Columbiabased foundation granted o!er <1,+++,+++ in =++7, according to its =++7 ta return% B.4 Sanders was diagnosed with acute leu"emia in >une 19*+% B7B.' He died at >ewish Hospital in 8ouis!ille, (entuc"y of pneumonia on ecember 1&, 19*+ at the age of 9+% B.&B.7B.* His body lay in state in the rotunda of the (entuc"y State Capitol in :ran"fort after a funeral ser!ice at the Southern @aptist SeminaryChapel, which was attended by more than 1,+++ people% He was buried in his characteristic white suit and blac" western string tie in Ca!e Hill Cemetery in 8ouis!ille% @y the time of his death, there were an estimated &,+++ (:C outlets in 4* different countries worldwide, with <= billion of sales annually% B.9 Legacy Bedit
Since his death, Sanders has been portrayed by !oice actors in (:C commercials in radio and an animated !ersion of him has been used for tele!ision commercials% Ehe >apanese ippon Grofessional @aseball league has de!eloped an urban legend of the MCurse of the ColonelM% A statue of Colonel Sanders was thrown into a ri!er and lost during a 19*' fan celebration, and
#according to the legend$ the McurseM has caused >apans Hanshin Eigers to perform poorly since the incident% B4+ ne of Colonel Sanders white suits and blac" clip-on bow-ties were sold at auction for <=1,'1+ by Heritage Auctions on >une ==, =+1.% B41 Ehe suit had been gi!en to Cincinnatiresident Fi"e Forris by Sanders, who was close to Forriss family% Ehe Forris family house was purchased by Col% Sanders, and Sanders li!ed with the family for si months% B4=Ehe suit was purchased by (entuc"y :ried Chic"en of >apan president Faseo MCharlieM 5atanabe% 5atanabe put on the famous suit after placing the winning bid at the auction e!ent in allas, Eeas% )n =+11, a manuscript of a boo" on coo"ing that Sanders apparently wrote in the mid-19&+s was found in (:C archi!es% )t includes some coo"ing recipes from Sanders as well as anecdotes and life lessons% (:C said it was planning to try some of the recipes and to publish the =++-page manuscript online% B4.B44
After many years of serving his secret fried chicken recipe in his local restaurant, Colonel Harland Sanders found himself in need of a new career. At the age of 65, he began to collect his social security check of about !"" as he wondered how he was going to survive financially. Colonel Sanders #ackground $rowing up in %ndiana, household responsibilities were often left to him while his mother worked to support the family after his father&s early death. 'his is how he developed his keen cooking skills as he helped his mother take care of the other children in his family.
Several different (obs later, Sanders began his entrepreneurial career running a service station in )entucky while serving his special chicken in a dining area within. As business grew, he relocated to a restaurant close by in order to make his original recipe with its blend of eleven herbs and spices accessible to even more customers. He also added a motel to the business. %n !*+5, at fortyfive years old, Sanders was dubbed a )entucky Colonel by the $overnor, in recognition of his fabulous cooking skills. Subse-uently, in !*" Sanders created his wellknown /0riginal 1ecipe./ Colonel Sanders2 3ew Cooking 'echni-ue Sanders originally prepared his chicken in an iron skillet but soon reali4ed that was not efficient in a restaurant setting. %n order to decrease the wait time for his customers, Sanders modified his cooking procedure by making use of a pressure fryer. Colonel Sanders2 ntrepreneurial rive 'he Sanders Court 7 Caf8 catered mainly to travelers on their way to 9lorida through the town of Corbin, )entucky. However, in the early !*5"&s, a new interstate was in the works that would cause a great loss in business, forcing Sanders to retire and sell his restaurant. However, the government check was small and Sanders wasn&t willing to (ust sit still and try to make due. He believed there was an opportunity to market his chicken to restaurant owners across the :.S. %n his travels, he was re(ected on many occasions, laughed at about his attire of his starched white shirt and white pants. However, Sanders persevered, and after a little over !,""" visits, he finally persuaded ;ete Harman in South Salt
partner with him. 'hey launched the first /)entucky 9ried Chicken/ site in !*5=. %n the early !*6"&s there were over 6"" franchised locations in the :.S. and Canada selling the delectable chicken. Subse-uently, in !*6 Sanders sold the franchising operation for = million. 'he franchise has been sold three other times since then and continues to be a wellknown successful business.
Col% Harland SandersJ American :ast :ood Gioneer Ehe Story of Colonel Sanders )n the beginning%%% Colonel Harland Sanders, born September 9, 1*9+, acti!ely began franchising his chic"en business at the age of &'% ow, the (entuc"y :ried Chic"enO business he started has grown to be one of the largest retail food ser!ice systems in the world% And Colonel Sanders, a 0uic" ser!ice restaurant pioneer, has become a symbol of entrepreneurial spirit% Fore than two billion of the Colonels Mfinger lic"in goodM chic"en dinners are ser!ed annually% And not /ust in orth America% Ehe Colonels coo"ing is a!ailable in more than *= countries around the world%
5hen the Colonel was si, his father died% His mother was forced to go to wor", and young Harland had to ta"e care of his three-year-old brother and baby sister% Ehis meant doing much of the family coo"ing% @y the age of se!en, he was a master of a score of regional dishes% At age 1+, he got his first /ob wor"ing on a nearby farm for <= a month% 5hen he was 1=, his mother remarried and he left his home near Henry!ille, )nd%, for a /ob on a farm in 6reenwood, )nd% He held a series of /obs o!er the net few years, first as a 1'-year-old streetcar conductor in ew Albany, )nd%, and then as a 1&-year-old pri!ate, soldiering for si months in Cuba% After that he was a railroad fireman, studied law by correspondence, practiced in /ustice of the peace courts, sold insurance, operated an hio i!er steamboat ferry, sold tires, and operated ser!ice stations% 5hen he was 4+, the Colonel began coo"ing for hungry tra!elers who stopped at his ser!ice station in Corbin, (y% He didnt ha!e a restaurant then, but ser!ed fol"s on his own dining table in the li!ing 0uarters of his ser!ice station% As more people started coming /ust for food, he mo!ed across the street to a motel and restaurant that seated 14= people% !er the net nine years, he perfected his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices and the basic coo"ing techni0ue that is still used today% As we grew%%% Sanders fame grew% 6o!ernor uby 8affoon made him a (entuc"y Colonel in 19.' in recognition of his contributions to the states cuisine% And in 19.9, his establishment was first listed in uncan Hines MAd!entures in 6ood ating%M )n the early 19'+s a new interstate highway was planned to bypass the town of Corbin% Seeing an end to his business, the Colonel auctioned off his operations% After paying his bills, he was reduced to li!ing on his <1+' Social Security chec"s% Confident of the 0uality of his fried chic"en, the Colonel de!oted himself to the chic"en franchising business that he started in 19'=% He tra!eled across the country by car from restaurant to restaurant, coo"ing batches of chic"en for restaurant owners and their employees% )f the reaction was fa!orable, he entered into a handsha"e agreement on a deal that stipulated
a payment to him of a nic"el for each chic"en the restaurant sold% @y 19&4, Colonel Sanders had more than &++ franchised outlets for his chic"en in the ;nited States and Canada% Ehat year, he sold his interest in the ;%S% company for <= million to a group of in!estors including >ohn ?% @rown >r%, who later was go!ernor of (entuc"y from 19*+ to 19*4% Ehe Colonel remained a public spo"esman for the company% )n 197&, an independent sur!ey ran"ed the Colonel as the worlds second most recogniKable celebrity% ;nder the new owners, (entuc"y :ried Chic"en Corporation grew rapidly% )t went public on Farch 17, 19&&, and was listed on the ew ?or" Stoc" change on >anuary 1&, 19&9% Fore than .,'++ franchised and companyowned restaurants were in worldwide operation when Heublein )nc% ac0uired (:C Corporation on >uly *, 1971, for <=*' million% (entuc"y :ried Chic"en became a subsidiary of %>% eynolds )ndustries, )nc% #now > abisco, )nc%$, when Heublein )nc% was ac0uired by eynolds in 19*=% (:C was ac0uired in ctober 19*& from > abisco, )nc% by GepsiCo, )nc%, for approimately <*4+ million% )n >anuary 1997, GepsiCo, )nc% announced the spin-off of its 0uic" ser!ice restaurants -- (:C, Eaco @ell and GiKKa Hut -- into an independent restaurant company% Ehe spin-off should be completed during the fourth 0uarter 1997% Ehe new restaurant company, E)C 6lobal estaurants, )nc%, will be the worlds largest restaurant system with more than =9,'++ (:C, GiKKa Hut and Eaco @ell restaurants in nearly 1++ countries and territories% ;ntil he was fatally stric"en with leu"emia in 19*+ at the age of 9+, the Colonel tra!eled ='+,+++ miles a year !isiting the (:C empire he founded% And it all began with a &'-year-old gentleman who used his <1+' Social Security chec" to start a business%
When I read last week that a majority of Americans ages ! to "# didn$t know who Colonel Sanders was% I was shocked& According to USA Today% '( of res)ondents didn$t know who the guy with the beard in the *+C logo was& What, -hey don$t know who the most famous chicken icon in the world is, A face that says .fried chicken. to hungry )eo)le from China to Peru, +or anyone who grew u) in America in the second half of the "/th century% the Colonel was a true icon& 0ou didn$t need to be able to read to know who he was1 you didn$t e2en need to watch -3& Anyone who dro2e a mile in any direction would see his beaming% grandfatherly 2isage and white suit and know that *entucky +ried Chicken could be found there& 4aybe not e2erybody knew that he was the chain$s founder or remembered his -3 commercials from the $'/s and $5/s% when he talked about how each )iece was di))ed in an .egg warsh. before frying& 6ut% at least% they knew he was real& 7alf of the young adults in the sur2ey% which was ordered u) by the chain% assumed that he was the creation of *+C% rather than the other way around& "See I4.s p+oto:essay on *ood as pop c<&re)$
I find this 2ery disturbing& And not because I$m in the )rocess of writing a book about Colonel Sanders& I don$t e8)ect anybody under "# to read it 9 or anybody else% for that matter& 6ut it hurts me as an American to think that so many )eo)le lack such a basic )iece of cultural information& I mean% it$s one thing to not know who -homas :efferson was or when the 3ietnam War ended& College )rofessors brace themsel2es for the ignorance of their charges and% in fact% ha2e a good laugh about it e2ery year% when two academics in Wisconsin circulate% with much fanfare% a list of how much the incoming freshmen don$t know & 6ut by not knowing that 7arland Da2id Sanders was an actual man% who li2ed an actual life% )eo)le miss out on more than they might imagine& +or one thing% the Colonel wasn$t just a fast;food baron who re)resented his com)any on -3% the way Da2e -homas later did& Sanders was the li2ing embodiment of what his food su))osedly stood for& 7is white suit wasn$t the in2ention of a marketing committee1 he wore it
e2ery day and was ne2er seen in )ublic for the last "/ years of his life in anything else& <7e had a hea2y wool one for winter and a lighter cotton one for summer&> 7e was a failure who got fired from a do?en jobs before starting his restaurant% and then failed at that when he went out of business and found himself broke at the age of '#& 7e dro2e around in a Cadillac with his face )ainted on the side before anybody knew who he was% )leading with the owners of run;down diners to use his reci)e and gi2e him a nickel commission on each chicken& 7e sle)t in the back of the car and made handshake deals& 7is first marriage was a difficult one% so he di2orced his wife after @ years& <7is second marriage was much ha))ier&> 7e once shot a man in a gun battle% but was ne2er charged as the other guy started it& 7e was a lawyer who once assaulted his own client in court& 7e was indeed a *entucky Colonel% an honorary title gi2en to him by not one but two go2ernors& 7e was a Botarian and a Presbyterian% and he deser2es to be remembered at least for ha2ing a 2erifiable e8istence& "See pict&res o* ;+at t+e ;orld eats)$
6ut after he died% at the age of / in !/% his image was u) for grabs& 6y the !/s% the ld South was not the most a))ealing image for a national chain& or was fried chicken any longer the )erfect food to feed your family in a time when calorie;counting and healthy choices were already becoming omni)resent concerns& -he Colonel was for a time e2en transformed into a frisky cartoon character who danced around% dunked basketballs and affected hi);ho) lingo when he wasn$t )lugging Pok=mon toys& Later% )erha)s in a fit of remorse% *+C outfitted him in an a)ron to remind the world of his culinary skill& Since the Colonel$s death% his com)any has changed its name% dro))ing *entucky +ried Chicken for the more generic and unthreatening initials *+C% e2en going so far as to suggest that the letters stood for .*itchen +resh Chicken&. obody was fooled& +reuently *+C has wanted to shift its identity to something more in kee)ing with the times% but it is yoked to the Colonel and his fried legacy& And its inability to change is% in fact% the best thing about it& -here is no .original reci)e. for 4cDonald$s1 that com)any can change the way it makes burgers tomorrow% just like it has in the )ast& -he food at -aco 6ell doesn$t reference any )articular )lace or time1 there$s nobody to recogni?e% no frame of reference to miss& 4any *+C franchisees% )articularly in the South% wish that 0umF 6rands% *+C$s )arent% would see
that% and these franchisees feel so strongly about the matter that they ha2e sued *+C& -hey feel that *+C$S rebranding efforts hurt the brand% and couldn$t care less if the chain$s core )roduct is .rele2ant%. as *+C )uts it& It$s hard not to see at least some grounds for their )osition& After all% Colonel Sanders$ secret herbs and s)ices are their greatest asset& -hat reci)e is ke)t in a 2ault dee) inside cor)orate headuarters in Le8ington% *y&% surrounded by motion detectors and sur2eillance cameras1 only two e8ecuti2es ha2e access to it at any time& Inside that 2ault% those s)ices are written on a )iece of notebook )a)er% in )encil% in Sanders$ own hand& I$m told that the )a)er is yellowing and the handwriting% by now% is faint& -hat fragile connection to a real man and a real 2ision is what makes *+C uniue& I wish more )eo)le would a))reciate that& Ozersky is a James Beard Award—winning food writer and the author of -he 7amburgerG A 7istory . His food video site, Ozersky.T , is u!dated dai"y. He is #urrent"y at work on a $iogra!hy of %o"one" Sanders. Taste of Ameri#a, Ozersky&s food #o"umn for T'().#om, a!!ears every *ednesday.
Colonel Harland Sanders @iography Chef #1*9+D19*+$ •
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P;ES Eheres no reason to be the richest man in the cemetery% ?ou cant do any business from there%2
3Colonel Harland Sanders
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;G5EH? G5 @? G;@QCHA6 Colonel Sanders : 4ini Bio "=:1?@ 02A12$ Colonel Sanders is synonymo&s ;it+ 'ent&c(y ried C+ic(en) He created t+e recipe, *ranc+ised it, and earned ;orld;ide *ame)
Synopsis Colonel Harland Sanders ;as born on September 9, 1890, in Henryville, Indiana) -t t+e a#e o* ?0, Sanders ;as r&nnin# a pop&lar 'ent&c(y service station t+at also served *oodso pop&lar, in *act, t+at t+e #overnor o* 'ent&c(y desi#nated +im a 'ent&c(y colonel) .vent&ally, Sanders *oc&sed on *ranc+isin# +is *ried c+ic(en b&siness aro&nd t+e co&ntry, collectin# a payment *or eac+ c+ic(en sold) +e company ;ent on to become t+e ;orlds lar#est *ast:*ood c+ic(en c+ain, 'ent&c(y ried C+ic(en) Sanders died in %o&isville, 'ent&c(y, on December 1!, 1980)
arly 8ife and Career Best (no;n *or *o&ndin# t+e *ast:*ood c+ain 'ent&c(y ried C+ic(en, Colonel Harland David Sanders ;as born on September 9, 1890, in Henryville, Indiana) -*ter +is *at+er died ;+en +e ;as ! years old, Sanders became responsible *or *eedin# and ta(in# care o* +is yo&n#er brot+er and sister) Be#innin# at t+e a#e o* 10, +e +eld do;n n&mero&s obs, incl&din# *armer, streetcar cond&ctor, railroad *ireman and ins&rance salesman)
-t a#e ?0, Sanders ;as r&nnin# a service station in 'ent&c(y, ;+ere +e ;o&ld also *eed +&n#ry travelers) Sanders event&ally moved +is operation to a resta&rant across t+e street, and *eat&red a *ried c+ic(en so notable t+at +e ;as named a 'ent&c(y colonel in 19E by >overnor &by %a**oon)
(entuc"y :ried Chic"en is @orn -*ter closin# t+e resta&rant in 19E2, Sanders devoted +imsel* to *ranc+isin# +is c+ic(en b&siness) He traveled across t+e co&ntry, coo(in# batc+es o* c+ic(en *rom resta&rant to resta&rant, stri(in# deals t+at paid +im a nic(el *or every c+ic(en t+e resta&rant sold) In 19!?, ;it+ more t+an !00 *ranc+ised o&tlets, +e sold +is interest in t+e company *or F2 million to a #ro&p o* investors) 'ent&c(y ried C+ic(en ;ent p&blic in 19!! and ;as listed on t+e e;
Eheres no reason to be the richest man in the cemetery% ?ou cant do any business from there%2 3Colonel Harland Sanders
