# Arch West

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Arch_West
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Arch_West.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_West
> Source revision: 1355698504
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Archibald Clark West** (September 8, 1914 – September 20, 2011) was a marketing executive credited with the development of [Doritos](/source/Doritos), a brand of seasoned [tortilla chips](/source/Tortilla_chips).[1][2][3][4] The successful [snack food](/source/Snack_food) was marketed as an alternative to the more traditional [potato chips](/source/Potato_chips).[1] Doritos are now [Frito-Lay](/source/Frito-Lay)'s second best-selling item, bested only by [Lay's Potato Chips](/source/Lay's).[1] An estimated five billion dollars in Doritos are sold every year worldwide.[1]

## Biography

### Early life

West was born on September 8, 1914, in [Indianapolis](/source/Indianapolis), [Indiana](/source/Indiana).[1] His parents, James and Jessie West, were immigrants from [Scotland](/source/Scotland).[4] West and his brother were raised at a [Masonic](/source/Masonic) home because his mother was too impoverished to care for them.[4]

He received a [bachelor's degree](/source/Bachelor's_degree) in business from [Franklin College](/source/Franklin_College_(Indiana)) in Indiana in 1936. West was also a member of [Kappa Delta Rho](/source/Kappa_Delta_Rho) during his time at FC.[1] West then served in the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) in the [Pacific theater](/source/Pacific_War) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II) as a [gunnery officer](/source/Gun) aboard the [USS Holt](/source/USS_Holt).[1][4][5]

### Career

He began his career at [Standard Brands](/source/Standard_Brands), where he worked as a traveling sales representative.[4] West then switched careers to [advertising](/source/Advertising), based in [New York City](/source/New_York_City).[4] His early [portfolio](/source/Career_portfolio) included the [Jell-O](/source/Jell-O) [ad campaign](/source/Ad_campaign).[3][4]

Arch West joined the staff of the Frito Company, now called Frito-Lay, in 1960.[1] (Pepsi acquired Frito-Lay in 1965.)[4] West is widely credited for the invention and development of one of the company's signature products, Doritos.[1] According to West's daughter, Jana Hacker, West first envisioned the idea of Doritos in the early 1960s while working as Frito's vice president of marketing.[1] West was vacationing with his family in [San Diego, California](/source/San_Diego,_California), in 1961, when he noticed customers at a small, roadside restaurant eating [corn chips](/source/Corn_chip) that had been [deep fried](/source/Deep_fried).[1][2][3] West reportedly enjoyed the taste of this type of snack food.

Almost simultaneously, Frito merged with the [H.W. Lay Company](/source/H.W._Lay_Company) in 1961.[4] West pitched the idea for Doritos soon after. His colleagues at Frito-Lay were initially not enthusiastic about his idea for a snack food made from tortilla chips.[2] However, West conducted market [research and development](/source/Research_and_development) which revealed a potential market for his proposed snack.[2][3] The company produced the first Doritos chips in 1964.[1] West developed the snack as a triangle-shaped, crispy tortilla chip flavored with chilli and cheese.[1] The shape and signature orange color of the chips were inspired by West's fraternity at Franklin, Kappa Delta Rho. The first flavors of Doritos were [corn](/source/Maize) and [taco](/source/Taco) and an early [television commercial](/source/Television_commercial) called Doritos "a swinging, Latin sort of snack."[3][4] Author Andrew F. Smith noted West's credited contributions to Doritos in his 2006 book, *Encyclopedia of Junk Food and Fast Food*.[1][6]

West also had a hand in the [marketing](/source/Marketing) of [Pace](/source/Pace_Foods) [salsas](/source/Salsa_(sauce)) and picante sauces.[4] He was a longtime friend of [Dave Pace](/source/Dave_Pace), the founder of [Pace Foods](/source/Pace_Foods). West suggested that Pace's products be displayed on the same [grocery](/source/Grocery) aisle as the chips, rather than with ketchup.[4] The move quickly increased sales of Pace products.[4]

West retired from his position as vice president of marketing at Frito-Lay in 1971.[4]

### Later life

West was injured in a car accident while volunteering for disaster relief in [Amarillo, Texas](/source/Amarillo,_Texas), circa 1990, but recovered from his injuries.[3] His car was hit by a [tanker truck](/source/Tanker_truck) in the accident.[3]

Arch West died from [peritonitis](/source/Peritonitis) and complications from vascular surgery at [Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas](/source/Presbyterian_Hospital_of_Dallas) on September 20, 2011, at the age of 97.[1][4] He and his wife, Charlotte F. Thomson (died 2010), had four children.[1][4]

## References

1. Hevesi, Dennis (2011-09-28). ["Arch West, Who Helped Create Doritos Corn Chips, Is Dead at 97"](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/business/arch-west-who-helped-create-doritos-corn-chips-is-dead-at-97.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. Retrieved 2011-10-13.

1. ["Doritos creator dies in Dallas at 97"](http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Creator-of-Doritos-dies-in-Dallas-at-97-2188437.php). [Houston Chronicle](/source/Houston_Chronicle). [Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press). 2011-09-26. Retrieved 2011-10-13.

1. Daubs, Katie (2011-09-27). ["No cheesy farewell for Doritos creator"](https://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1059722--no-cheesy-farewell-for-doritos-creator). *[Toronto Star](/source/Toronto_Star)*. Retrieved 2011-10-13.

1. Rees Shapiro, T. (2011-09-26). ["Arch West, 97, invented Doritos for Frito-Lay"](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/arch-west-97-invented-doritos-for-frito-lay/2011/09/26/gIQAfYpE0K_story.html). *[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post)*. Retrieved 2011-10-13.

1. Archives, L. A. Times (2011-09-28). ["PASSINGS: Johnnie Wright, Arch West"](https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-xpm-2011-sep-28-la-me-passings-20110928-story.html). *Los Angeles Times*. Retrieved 2024-10-31.

1. Smith, Andrew F. (2006). *Encyclopedia of junk food and fast food*. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. p. 78. ISBN 0-313-33527-3. Arch West, an executive vice president of Frito-Lay, Inc., is credited with inventing the triangular corn chip called Doritos, which means "little bits of gold" in Spanish.

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Arch West](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_West) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_West?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.