Sam Walton

Sam Walton was born in 1918 on a farm in a small town in Oklahoma. The family couldn't make enough money so they moved to Missouri and his dad worked for Metropolitan Insurance company. Sam was ambitious and showed leadership qualities at an early age becoming the youngest Eagle Scout in the States history. Sam worked many jobs growing up during the depression and helped the family with expenses. He went to the University of Missouri as an ROTC cadet and earned a degree in economics. He was involved in many campus activities and became president of the Bural Bible class. After school he worked at JC Penny until 1942 when he went into the military and left there after the war as a Captain. He saved money in the military and used that to purchase a Ben Franklin store. He increased the business from $80,000 to $225,000 in three years and the land owner jacked up the rent so he was forced out. The next store he bought he secured a 99 lease to avoid being force out. In time he had several small stores which he sold and opened his first Walmart store in 1962 and the rest is history.