Tom Forkner

Tom Forkner
Born
Thomas Francis Forkner

(1918-06-14)June 14, 1918
Hawkinsville, Georgia, U.S.
DiedApril 26, 2017(2017-04-26) (aged 98)
Johns Creek, Georgia
OccupationsLawyer, real estate agent, businessman
Known forco-founder of Waffle House, amateur golfer
Board member of
Young Harris College Trustee
Spouse
Martha Jean Bishop Forkner
​
​
(m. 1945; died 2017)​

Thomas Francis Forkner (June 14, 1918 – April 26, 2017) was an American businessman, lawyer, and notable senior golfer. He was a co-founder of restaurant chain Waffle House, which as of April 2018 consisted of 2,100 restaurants.

Biography

Born in Hawkinsville, Georgia, on June 14, 1918, Tom Forkner was the fifth of seven children of Ben and Bessie Forkner; his siblings include Louise, Lawrence, Catherine, Ben, John, and William. Forkner graduated Young Harris Junior College before getting a law degree from the Woodrow Wilson College of Law. The son of a real estate agent, he briefly practiced law in Atlanta.

Military service

He was called to serve in World War II as an intelligence officer for the Manhattan Project. Forkner trained at Camp Ritchie and is considered to be one of the Ritchie Boys - a group who was responsible for uncovering two thirds of intelligence in the European Theatre. Forkner spent four years, nine months in the war.

Real estate

Forkner returned to Avondale Estates, Georgia with his wife and took over Forkner Realty Company after his father's death in 1948.

Waffle House

This Waffle House in Fort Worth, Texas, is near the Texas Motor Speedway

In 1949, Forkner sold a home to Joe Rogers Sr. Inspired by the emergence of fast food chains like McDonald's, Rogers, who was a regional manager of the Toddle House chain of diners in Memphis, Tennessee, proposed that he and Forkner go into business together for a quick-service, sit-down restaurant. Forkner suggested a Toddle House, but Rogers felt the chain wasn't proper for the market. After Forkner secured the property, the pair developed the concept of the Waffle House together: Forkner proposed naming it after the most profitable item on the menu to promote it, while Rogers suggested keeping a 24-hour schedule. The first Waffle House opened in Avondale on Labor Day in 1955. Over the next several years, the pair expanded the chain, beginning to offer franchises after 1960. After their restaurant count passed 400 in the early 1970s, they began to step back. As of 2005, Forkner and Rogers, though having passed the helm of the company to Joe Rogers Jr. in 1973, still worked for the company occasionally, including on major holidays. In 2007, Forkner was still visiting his office daily.

Golf

Forkner started golfing as part of a lifestyle change after high blood pressure and ulcers put him in the hospital in 1959. He and wife Martha enjoyed Sunday golf for years. He was widely successful as a senior golfer, and on January 6, 2007, was inducted into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame. Among his achievements, he was on four occasions named the Georgia Senior Champion (1968, 1969, and 1986) and twice International Senior Champion (1974 and 1980). In 2003 and 2004, he was World Super Seniors Champion for ages 80 and Over. Forkner, who competed in the 1980 and 1981 U.S. Senior Opens, once placed second there, which in keeping in mind the competition he described to The Augusta Chronicle in 2007 as "probably the single best thing I ever did."

Personal life and death

While at Oak Ridge in 1945, he met Martha Jean Bishop. She was from Gainesville Florida, graduated from Florida State University in three years with honors, and was recruited for the Manhattan Project. They married on September 20, 1945 in Gainesville after a three-month courtship. The union bore three children and the marriage lasted 71 years. She enjoyed being a wife and mother but learned to design homes and created house plans for four homes. In her spare time she played bridge, golfed and enjoyed decorating. As of 2007, the Forkners lived in Duluth, Georgia. Forkner died on April 27, 2017, at the age of 98, only one month after the death of Joe Rogers, his business partner.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Whisenhunt, Dan. "Waffle House co-founder Tom Forkner passes following death of business partner". decaturish.com. Appen Media. Retrieved November 6, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Tom Forkner". George Golf Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
  3. 1 2 Collier, Joe Guy (February 5, 2009). "116 Waffle Houses to stay open under deal". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
  4. ↑ Martin, Michael (April 23, 2018). "How many Waffle Houses are there?". Metro.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Auchmutey, Jim (September 2, 2008). "Waffle House history a recipe for museum success". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
  6. 1 2 Sharpe, Joshua (April 27, 2017). "Waffle House co-founder dies a month after his business partner". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on July 15, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Tom Forkner".
  8. 1 2 3 Schemmel, William (2007). You Know You're in Georgia When...: 101 Quintessential Places, People, Events, Customs, Lingo, and Eats of the Peach State. Globe Pequot. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-7627-4131-1.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Waffle House turns 50, but goods still going like hotcakes". USA Today. Associated Press. August 12, 2005. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
  10. 1 2 3 Jones, Patrick. "Grits & Golf" (PDF). patrickjones.com. GolfStyles Media Group. Retrieved November 7, 2026.
  11. ↑ Badertscher, Nancy. "Forkner was soldier, lawyer, top golfer and helped start Waffle House". ajc.com. Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved November 6, 2026.
  12. ↑ "iMPACT Speaker Series: Joe W. Rogers Jr., CEO, Waffle House, Inc". November 2, 2005. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
  13. 1 2 3 Westin, David (January 7, 2007). "Inductee made most of trip". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
  14. ↑ "Martha Forkner Obituary". legacy.com. Legacy. Retrieved November 6, 2026.