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Sam Walton’s Way

The Editors of New Word City

Saturday, August 14, 1964 was a broiling hot day in Harrison, Arkansas—but the heat was the last thing on Sam Walton’s mind. After all, it was the grand opening of his second Wal-Mart. For the 46-year-old Walton—who still had the lean athletic body he’d honed as quarterback of his championship high-school football team—this was a big day, and he was going to make damn sure it was a big success.

With the compulsive attention to detail that was already his trademark, he had planned everything. He took one last walk through the aisles and led his employees in an adrenaline-charged cheer. Out in the parking ...

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