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Charles Doolin transformed American snacking in 1932 when he created Fritos corn chips and launched the Frito Company.
His crisp, salty chips sparked a shift in how Americans ate between meals, much like his peer Herman W. Lay's potato chips reshaped casual eating habits.
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Charles Doolin founded the Frito Company in 1932, during the Great Depression.
He borrowed $100 from his mother to buy three things:
This small purchase launched what would become a snack food empire.
The Frito Company began in the Doolin family kitchen, where they hand-crafted each batch of Fritos.
This kitchen operation eventually became a structured business, where he installed his father Charles Bernard as chairman of the board.
His mother Daisy Dean Stephenson and brother Earl were also brought on the team.
Their shared commitment and daily collaboration built the foundation that would launch Fritos from a home kitchen to national success.
Charles Doolin transitioned the Frito Company from a regional business into a national operation by building production plants in Dallas, Tulsa, Los Angeles, Denver, and beyond—even reaching Venezuela!
To control his supply chain, he established a network of corn farms across Texas that provided raw materials directly to his factories.
Charles Doolin's vegetarian diet and commitment to natural health shaped his business decisions at the Frito Company.
He followed the teachings of Dr. Herbert M. Shelton, a Texas naturopath who advocated raw foods and fasting to treat illness.
The diet drove Doolin to develop snack products that matched his values, aiming to create options suitable for vegetarian consumers.
By 1959, the company produced 40 distinct snack products, up from its original single offering.
The workforce grew to 3,000 employees, establishing Frito as a major force in American snack manufacturing.
The 1961 merger of the Frito Company and H.W. Lay & Company created Frito-Lay, Inc., a pivotal moment that came two years after founder Charles Elmer Doolin's death.
The combined company harnessed the manufacturing capabilities and market presence of both snack makers.
The new entity's success led to another key merger with Pepsi-Cola Company, forming PepsiCo—a giant conglomerate of global snacks and beverages.
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