James Lawrence Walton

Instead of going to college, Bud Walton attended Wentworth Military Academy in Lexington, Missouri, for two years. In 1941 he volunteered for service in the U.S. Navy as a pilot. While undergoing flight training, Bud met and married his wife, Audrey. Together, the couple had two daughters: Ann and Nancy. Bud joined his brother after he was discharged from the U.S. Navy in 1945. Together, Sam and Bud Walton borrowed money to build a new store in Rogers, Arkansas, which they named Wal-Mart. The store opened in 1962. In 1983 the Walton brothers opened up the first Sam’s Club discount warehouse, which specializes in selling merchandise in bulk to both small businesses and individuals. Together, the Walton brothers donated $150,000 for the construction of a new building for the Columbia Chamber of Commerce and Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau in Columbia, Missouri. The building was named the Thomas G. Walton Building in honor of their father. Bud Walton donated $15 million for the construction of a basketball arena at the University of Arkansas, which is named in his honor. The College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri, is home to the James L. “Bud” Walton Chair of Retailing, which was named in honor of Bud Walton’s support of the school. Bud Walton died from an aneurysm on March 20, 1995, in Miami, Florida, and is buried in Memorial Park Cemetery in Columbia, Missouri.