Troy N. Smith, Sr. - Oklahoma City, OK - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

Troy Smith Sr. is laid to rest in Memorial Park Cemetery, at the northeast corner of section 11. A large monument marks his grave, with benches on the sides that are inscribed with the word "Sonic". In addition to this memorial there are two Troy Smith benches in front of the chapel at the cemetery entrance. The link near the bottom of the page is the NYT article about his death.


The following words are inscribed on the monument:

Troy Nuel Smith Sr. was born in Oilton, Oklahoma, in 1922. He attended Mountain View School and Seminole High School. In 1940 he married his sweetheart, Dollie Twiggs, before going into the Army Air Corps in 1943. After World War II ended, Troy returned to his wife and two children in Oklahoma. He began driving a milk truck, then a bread truck route as he pursued a desire to own his own business. Between 1948 and 1953, Troy operated various restaurant concepts in Shawnee, Oklahoma. One was a small root beer stand called the Top Hat. "Service With the Speed of Sound" was the tagline for his little drive-in. An entrepreneur in every way, Troy focused on turning the Top Hat into a successful drive-in concept. He devised or championed many innovations now considered standard features of the modern-day drive-in, such as diagonal parking stalls, canopy covers, intercom ordering devices, on-lot music and food delivered by carhops on roller skates. He was a simple man, yet one of great character and integrity, as seen by early franchise agreements that were sealed merely by handshakes, and royalties that were calculated based on the number of sacks ordered from suppliers. Troy lived and breathed Sonic with unbridled passion and enthusiasm, grounded by a laser-like focus on customer service. His positive influence over generations of people associated with the Sonic brand simply cannot be calculated. Ultimately, his joy came from providing opportunities to others. The professional success of thousands of people can be attributed to this humble man from Oklahoma.

Troy Smith Sr. - Visionary, Entrepreneur, Restauranteur, Philanthropist

Description: Troy Smith Sr. founded the very popular restaurant chain Sonic, known now for its burgers, tots, and shakes. Date of birth: 05/26/1922 Date of death: 10/26/2009 Area of notoriety: Other Marker Type: Monument Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Dawn to Dusk Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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