Sam Walton – Family Values

How entrepreneur Sam Walton built America's most impactful and important dynasty

- By Keith Gordon

The name Walton carries the same recognition as those of Rockefeller or Ford, and the impact of the Walton family on the communities they serve, and the nation and even the world, as a whole, easily puts them in the same hallowed league-and beyond. Even if you ignore the more than 10,000 Walmart stores globally, the millions of people they employ, the countless manufacturers they sustain, their truly enormous wealth, and equally impressive philanthropy, you still can't ignore the fundamental ways in which Samuel Walton and his family have changed people's lives around the globe. And it all began in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Sam Walton, who would go on to become the richest man in America, was born in Kingfisher, Oklahoma on March 29th, 1918. He was a smart and talented youngster, excelling in both high school and college, before serving as a captain in Army intelligence during World War II. After the conclusion of the war, Walton began his first serious foray into retail ownership and management by franchising a Ben Franklin variety store in Newport, Arkansas.

The venture was a huge success, as Walton's work ethic and commitment to his customers led to revenues far beyond what the typical Ben Franklin franchise earned. So perhaps it was his own doing, being a victim of his own success, that saw Walton pushed aside and his landlord, who held leverage over the young man and refused to renew his lease, take control of the business. Walton decided to leave Newport, settling in Bentonville, where his family could enjoy a smalltown lifestyle and Sam could be near his favorite hunting grounds.

And he brought with him all of the lessons and insights he had learned in his years in retail, both as an employee and owner.