History

=Sam Walton's History= [| Woopidoo's History of Samuel Moore Walton]
 * Graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a degree in economics.
 * He was in the ROTC and several fraternities.
 * He started with JCPenny, in Des Moines, Iowa three days after graduation.
 * In 1942 he changed jobs, and started working at DuPont munitions plant. In 1943-44 he left to serve in WWII to serve with the intelligence corps, and eventually became captain.
 * In 1945, he came back from the military and decided to open a department store on his own. His father in law loaned him $20,000 to help his start a Ben Franklin franchise store in Arkansas.
 * He kept his store open longer than the competitors and the prices lower than his competitors. His strategy made him a top seller in the chain in the six-state region of the franchise market.
 * He left Ben Franklin, and started his own store in Benton Arkansas called "Walton's Five and Dime" While in Benton he was a part of the local Rotary Club, and Chamber of Commerce. By 1962 Sam and his brother bud owned a total of 16 stores in Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas, most of which still functioned under the brand Ben Franklin's.
 * The first Walmart opened in 1962 in Benton, Arkansas.
 * Sam Walton received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from George H. W. Bush in 1992.
 * He was the richest man in the US from 1985-1988.
 * The first walmart was opened in Rogers, Arkansas.
 * In 1983, the company opened its first Sam’s Club membership warehouse, and in 1988 opened the first supercenter -- now the company’s dominant format -- featuring a complete grocery in addition to general merchandise.
 * Wal-Mart became an international company in 1991 when it opened its first Sam's Club near Mexico City.