Upon graduation from Oklahoma State University, Bill Atherton worked with Core Laboratories, Inc. in the Texas Gulf Coast and South America, and served as an officer in the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. After his time with Core, he operated his own petroleum reservoir engineering company in Trinidad, West Indies, from 1960 to 1964.

But Bill’s career took a turn when his friend, Pat Murphy, talked him into partnering in a new franchise out of Wichita, KS, called Pizza Hut—at the time Bill had never even heard of pizza, but it would change his life. Soon, Bill became the Co-founder, chairman and CEO of A&M Food Services, Inc. from 1964 to 1986 when the company was merged into PEPSICO, Inc. At the time of the merger, A&M Food Services was the largest Pizza Hut franchise owner in the United States. He was also founder of Taco Hut, Inc. and served as Chairman and CEO until its sale in 1983.

Bill has been instrumental in key fundraising activities at Oklahoma State University and Hillsdale College, including funding the renovation of the Atherton Hotel on the OSU Campus. He’s also been awarded the OSU Henry G. Bennett Distinguished Service Award and been inducted to the OSU Alumni Association Hall of Fame, 1999.

Currently, Bill is a partner of Atherton & Murphy Investment Company and Chairman of Atherton Restaurant Systems, Inc. of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Atherton Family also manages the William S. and Ann Atherton Foundation.