Sam Walton, an American businessman best known for founding Walmart and Sam's Club, was born on March 29, 1918 and died on April 5, 1992 after a battle with blood cancer. Walmart is the world's largest corporation by revenue and the biggest private employer in the world. At one point, Sam was the richest person in the United States, and his family remains one of the richest families in the U.S.

Sam Walton was the youngest Eagle Scout in the history of Missouri. In his adult life, he won the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. Growing up in the Great Depression, he did a lot of chores and odd jobs to make ends meet. After graduating David H. Jickman High School, he went on to attend University of Missouri as an ROTC cadet. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics in 1940, and served in the United States Army from 1942-1945.

After leaving the military in 1945, Walton purchased a Ben Franklin variety store and became the manager. It was here that he learned many skills that became crucial to his success.

The first true Walmart store opened on July 2, 1962, and was called the Wal-Mart Discount City store. At the time of his death in 1992, there were 1,960 Walmart stores. At the time of writing this (1/28/24) there are 10,500 stores.

In 1998, Walton was included in Time's list of 100 most influential people of the 20th century. He was honored for his work in retail in March 1992, when he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George H.W. Bush.

From 1982-1988, Forbes ranked Sam as the richest person in the United States. At the University of Arkansas, the Business College (Sam. M Walton College of Business) is named after him. In 1992, Walton was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame.