It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Sam Walton on April 5, 1992. Sam was born in 1918 in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, and grew up in Arkansas. He was an entrepreneur who built a small chain of general-merchandise stores into Walmart, the world’s largest retailer. Sam graduated from the University of Missouri in 1940, and served as a captain in the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps from 1942 to 1945. He later opened his first retail store in Newport, Arkansas, in 1945 before moving to Bentonville, Arkansas to open the original Walmart store in 1962. Walton purchased shops throughout the Midwest steadily over the course of the next 10 years and gradually expanded the chain to 24 stores across the region. By 1969, he had decided to expand his operations nationwide, and his stores now operate in all 50 U.S. states. Walmart also now has international locations in Mexico, Canada, India, UK and other countries. Walton was a passionate believer in American entrepreneurship and the power of the free market system. His success in retail was an inspiration to many and he was often credited with revolutionizing the U.S. retail landscape. He will be fondly remembered by his family and friends. He is survived by his wife Helen, and their children Rob, John, Jim, and Alice. He will be deeply missed and will never be forgotten.