Marriott, J. Willard

Marriott, J. (John) Willard

(1900–85) restaurant/hotel executive; born near Ogden, Utah. His first Hot Shoppe in Washington, D.C. (1927) quickly grew into a chain of family-style drive-ins. Marriott Corporation became a major U.S. hospitality company after diversifying into airline catering (1937) and motels (1957). His son John Willard Marriott Jr. succeeded him as president in 1964, CEO in 1972, and chairman in 1985.