OKLAHOMA CITY Troy N. Smith Sr., the founder of the drive-in that became the Sonic chain, died earlier this week in Oklahoma City. He was 87. ASonic spokeswoman said Smith died at an Oklahoma City hospital on Monday after a recent decline in health. Smith opened the Top Hat root beer stand in Shawnee, Okla., in 1953, and it became the Sonic Drive-In chain, which now has nearly 3,600 units in 42 states.Born in 1922, Smith grew up in east-central Oklahoma. After serving in the Army Air Corps, ...
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