Editing Sam Walton (section)

==Early life==
Samuel Moore Walton was born to Thomas Gibson Walton and Nancy Lee, in [[Kingfisher, Oklahoma]]. He lived there with his parents on their farm until 1923. However, farming did not provide enough money to raise a family, and Thomas Walton went into farm mortgaging. He worked for his brother's Walton Mortgage Company, which was an agent for [[Metropolitan Life]] Insurance,<ref>{{cite book | last = Walton | first = Sam | title = Sam Walton: Made in America | year = 2012 | publisher = Random House Publishing Group | isbn = 978-0-345-53844-4 | page = 4}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Lee | first = Sally | title = Sam Walton: Business Genius of Wal-Mart | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=H04Warg9u3cC&q=farming+Sam+Walton+father+mortgage&pg=PA13 | access-date = December 30, 2012 | year = 2007 | publisher = Enslow Publishers, Inc. | isbn = 978-0766026926 | page = 13}}</ref> where he [[foreclosure|foreclosed]] on farms during the [[Great Depression]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Landrum | first = Gene N. | title = Entrepreneurial Genius: The Power of Passion | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=fRdwUrLj2rgC&q=farming+Sam+Walton+father+mortgage&pg=PA120 | access-date = December 30, 2012 | year = 2004 | publisher = Brendan Kelly Publishing  | isbn = 1895997232 | page = 120}}</ref>

He and his family (now with another son, [[James "Bud" Walton|James]], born in 1921) moved from [[Oklahoma]]. They moved from one small town to another for several years, mostly in Missouri. While attending eighth grade in [[Shelbina, Missouri]], Sam became the youngest [[Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)|Eagle Scout]] in the state's history.<ref name="honor">{{cite book | last = Townley | first = Alvin | url = http://www.thomasdunnebooks.com/TD_TitleDetail.aspx?ISBN=0312366531 | title = Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts | publisher = St. Martin's Press | location = Asia | pages = 88–89 | isbn = 0-312-36653-1 | access-date = December 29, 2006 | date = December 26, 2006 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061219180428/http://www.thomasdunnebooks.com/TD_TitleDetail.aspx?ISBN=0312366531 | archive-date = December 19, 2006 | url-status = live }}</ref> In adult life, Walton became a recipient of the [[Distinguished Eagle Scout Award]] from the [[Boy Scouts of America]].<ref name="deshnikjiniuhgyalistt">{{cite web | url = http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/02-529.pdf | title = Distinguished Eagle Scouts | publisher = Scouting.org | access-date = November 4, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160312002744/http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/02-529.pdf | archive-date = March 12, 2016 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

Eventually the family moved to [[Columbia, Missouri]]. Growing up during the Great Depression, he did chores to help make financial ends meet for his family as was common at the time. He milked the family cow, bottled the surplus, and drove it to customers. Afterwards, he would deliver ''[[Columbia Daily Tribune]]'' newspapers on a paper route. In addition, he sold magazine subscriptions.<ref name="Forbes269">{{cite book | first1 = Daniel | last1 = Gross | author2 = [[Forbes|''Forbes'' Magazine]] Staff | date = August 1997 | title = Greatest Business Stories of All Time | edition = First | publisher = [[John Wiley & Sons]]f | location = New York | isbn = 0-471-19653-3 | page = [https://archive.org/details/isbn_0471196533/page/269 269] | url = https://archive.org/details/isbn_0471196533/page/269 | access-date = December 18, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200610115619/https://archive.org/details/isbn_0471196533/page/269 | archive-date = June 10, 2020 | url-status = live }}</ref> Upon graduating from [[David H. Hickman High School]] in Columbia, he was voted "Most Versatile Boy".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sam and Bud Walton |url=https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org/waltons/ |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=SHSMO Historic Missourians |language=en-US}}</ref>
[[File:SamWalton-1936.jpg|thumb|Walton in his high school yearbook, 1936]]
After high school, Walton decided to attend college, hoping to find a better way to help support his family. He attended the [[University of Missouri]] as an [[ROTC]] cadet. During this time, he worked various odd jobs, including waiting tables in exchange for meals. Also during his time in college, Walton joined the [[Zeta Phi]] chapter of [[Beta Theta Pi]] fraternity. He was also tapped by [[QEBH]], the well-known secret society on campus honoring the top senior men, and the national military honor society [[Scabbard and Blade]]. Additionally, Walton served as president of Burall Bible Class, a large class of students from the University of Missouri and [[Stephens College]].<ref>{{ cite book | last=Walton | first=Sam | title=Sam Walton: Made in America | year=2012 |publisher=Random House Publishing Group| isbn=978-0-345-53844-4 | page=15}}</ref> Upon graduating in 1940 with a bachelor's degree in economics, he was voted "permanent president" of the class.<ref name="Britannica">{{cite journal | url = http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/635176/Sam-Walton | title = Sam Walton | journal = [[Encyclopædia Britannica]] | publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica Inc | year = 2012 | access-date = March 30, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131021202035/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/635176/Sam-Walton | archive-date = October 21, 2013 | url-status = live }}</ref>

Furthermore, he elaborated that he learned from a very early age that it was important for them as kids to help provide for the home, to be givers rather than takers. Walton realized while serving in the army, that he wanted to go into retailing and to go into business for himself.<ref>{{Cite book | title = Sam Walton, Made in America: My Story | last = Walton | first = Sam | publisher = Doubleday| year = 1992 | pages = 5, 15, and 20}}</ref>

Walton joined [[J. C. Penney]] as a management trainee in [[Des Moines, Iowa]],<ref name="Britannica"/> three days after graduating from college.<ref name="Forbes269"/> This position paid him $75 a month. Walton spent approximately 18 months with J. C. Penney.<ref>{{ cite book | last=Walton | first=Sam | title=Sam Walton: Made in America | year=2012 |publisher=Random House Publishing Group| isbn=978-0-345-53844-4 | page=18}}</ref> He resigned in 1942 in anticipation of being inducted into the military for service in [[World War II]].<ref name="Forbes269"/> In the meantime, he worked at a [[DuPont]] munitions plant near [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]]. Soon afterwards, Walton joined the military in the [[Military Intelligence Corps (United States Army)|U.S. Army Intelligence Corps]], supervising security at aircraft plants. In this position he served at [[Fort Douglas, Utah|Fort Douglas]] in [[Salt Lake City]], [[Utah]].{{cn|date=March 2025}} He eventually reached the rank of [[Captain (United States O-3)|captain]].