Kemmons Wilson was born on January 5, 1913 in Osceola, Arkansas. Shortly after his birth, his father died and his mother moved the family to Memphis. In Memphis, he attended Central High School. In 1935, he founded his first business selling popcorn. He later became a home builder and real estate developer.

After a miserable family vacation in the early 1950s, Mr. Wilson told his wife he would never again stand for over-priced, cramped sleeping accommodations. In 1952 he built and opened his first Holiday Inn. By 1978, Mr. Wilson had created the largest hotel chain in the world. After retiring as head of Holiday Inns, he began building another chain of hotels called Wilson World Hotels and Wilson Inns.

Mr. Wilson has been inducted into the Memphis Business Hall of Fame, National Business Hall of Fame, and the Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame. He has received the Award for International Achievement, Outstanding Business Leader Award, Outstanding Citizen Award, and National Human Relations Award.

Kemmons Wilson credits his mother with convincing him that he could do anything that he set his mind to. By providing clean, spacious, and affordable accommodations with the Holiday Inns hotels, Kemmons Wilson has made traveling more pleasant for millions of families around the world.

Fill in the blanks with the correct answers found in the above facts on Kemmons Wilson and information on his Website at: www.kwilson.com.

1. Kemmons Wilson was born ____________________(month/day/year).

2. He was born in the city of____________________ but shortly thereafter his family moved to Memphis.

3. Kemmons Wilson attended ____________________ High School.

4. Mr. Wilson founded his first hotel business in the year ___________________.

5. In 1952, he opened his first hotel called ___________________.

6. The idea for his hotels came to Mr. Wilson while on ____________________ with his family.

7. Mr. Wilson's first hotel was located on ____________________ Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee.

8. Mr. Wilson became known as "The ___________________ of the Modern Innkeeping Industry."

9. ____________________ is the title of Kemmons Wilson's autobiography.

10. ____________________ and ____________________ are the names of his luxury resorts.

Suggested Writing Explorations:

1. Write a one-page paper telling about your favorite or worst vacation.

2. Write a three-paragraph story (introduction/body/conclusion) about where you would like to travel and why.

3. Visit the hotel named for Kemmons Wilson on the campus of the University of Memphis. Write a report on what you learn.

Additional Resources

Kemmons Wilson

Society of Entrepreneurs Hall of Honor. http://www.societyofentrepreneurs.com/members/

Kemmons Wilson's Homepage. http://www.kwilson.com

Wilson, Kemmons. Half Luck and Half Brains. Hambleton-Hill Publishers, 1996.

Educational Fun: Answer Key

1. January 5, 1913

2. Osceola, Arkansas

3. Central

4. 1935

5. Holiday Inn

6. vacation

7. Summer

8. Father

9. Half Luck and Half Brains

10. Wilson World Hotels and Wilson Inns