Merlin Reiser
Merlin Reiser had $6000 in his bank account when he moved his young family to Monroe, Louisiana, to open the area’s first Sonic drive-in in 1977. Over the next four decades, The Reiser Group became one the largest franchisers within the Sonic system with 38 locations throughout Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, and Texas.
In July 2021, Sonic Industries LLC acquired 100% of the operating and real estate interests of The Reiser Group Sonics.
Impact
The purpose of this scholarship is to increase college access and success for low-income first-generation students, enhance institutional efforts to provide need based aid to undergraduate students and provide additional opportunities for benefactors to support ULM.