# Helen Walton **Helen Robson Walton** (1919–2007) was the wife of [[Sam Walton]] and matriarch of the [[Walton Family]]. She married Sam on Valentine's Day 1943 and shaped the early Walmart story in two lasting ways: she pushed the family toward small-town life, which anchored the company and the dynasty in Bentonville, Arkansas; and her father designed the family partnership that kept control of [[Walmart]] in Walton hands. The KB tracks her as the link between the Oklahoma Robson fortune and the Walton estate-planning model. The shared family story lives on [[Walton Family]]. ## Background - Born December 3, 1919, in Claremore, Oklahoma, daughter of Leland Stanford "L.S." Robson, a banker and rancher - Degree in finance, University of Oklahoma (1942) - Married [[Sam Walton]] on February 14, 1943 - Four children: [[Rob Walton]], [[John Walton]], [[Jim Walton]], [[Alice Walton]] - Sam credited her with the idea for Walmart's profit-sharing plan for employees - Died April 19, 2007, in Bentonville ## The family partnership In 1953, L.S. Robson persuaded Sam to organize the family's business as a partnership, as Robson ran his own ranch and businesses with his children. That partnership became [[Walton Enterprises LLC]]. Sam and Helen together held 20% and each of the four children held 20%. Walmart stock moved into the partnership over time. Sam explained the payoff in 1992: the transfer of ownership "was made so long ago that we didn't have to pay substantial gift or inheritance taxes on it." The stakes moved while the business was small, so the growth in value happened inside the children's shares. The same structure kept the family's block of stock together; Sam said it protected Walmart against hostile takeover. When Helen died, her estate, John's estate and the three surviving children each held equal partnership shares, and the partnership controlled just over 40% of Walmart. ## Philanthropy | Area | Role | |---|---| | [[Walton Family Foundation]] | President in 2002, when it gave $300 million to the University of Arkansas, then the largest gift to a U.S. public university; it had earlier given $50 million to the university's business school | | Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) | First woman moderator of Arkansas Presbytery; first vice chair of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Foundation; created the Sam and Helen Walton Awards for new church developments (1990) | | University of the Ozarks | Chaired its board of trustees; honorary lifetime chair from 1984; a leading long-term donor | | Scholarships | Walton Scholars program for children of Walmart employees; a Central America student exchange program | | Arkansas arts | Leading supporter of the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville | ## Estate At her death she owned about 8.1% of Walmart, valued at roughly $16.4 billion. The family said a significant part of her stake would pass to charity over time, with shares sold gradually to fund charitable programs. ## See Also - [[Walton Family]] · [[Sam Walton]] · [[Walton Enterprises LLC]] · [[Walton Family Foundation]] · [[Walmart]] · [[Alice Walton]] · [[Rob Walton]] · [[Jim Walton]] · [[John Walton]] · [[Estate Tax]]