Willard Walker was the first manager of Sam Walton's Five & Dime store in Fayetteville and later managed a Wal-Mart Store in Springdale. When the company went public in 1970, Walker took out bank loans to buy as much stock as he could. He retired from Wal-Mart a wealthy man. In 1986, Walker and his wife founded the Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation.