Awards
by October 20, 1997 12:00 am 139 views
The Sam and Helen Walton family received the prestigious National Patriots Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society of the United States of America. The award — the highest honor bestowed by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society — was presented Sept. 26 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.
The Walton family is the first honored by the society, which usually selects individuals for the award. Past recipients include Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush; business leaders Lee Iacocca, Ross Perot and William Coors; entertainers Jimmy Stewart, Bob Hope and Will Rogers; and military leaders such as Gen. William Westmoreland.
The National Patriots Award is reserved for Americans who make a difference in the lives of all Americans: from building economic strength to defending freedoms at home and abroad.
Sam and Helen Walton moved in 1962 to Bentonville, where they founded Wal-Mart Stores Inc. The company has since become the world’s largest retailer and the nation’s largest corporate employer.
Shortly before his death in 1992, Sam Walton received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He served in the armed forces in World War II and his son, John, received a Silver Star for service in Vietnam. Each of the Waltons’ children – Rob, John, Jim and Alice – has contributed to Wal-Mart’s growth and to other successful business enterprises.
The Congressional Medal of Honor Society of the United States of America is an exclusive organization made up of recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor. There are currently 168 living members of the society. Members work to preserve the dignity of the Medal of honor, assist recipients and their widows and children, and foster and perpetuate Americanism.
James T. “Red” Hudson was honored with the second annual Arkansas Children’s Award given by the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Boys and Girls Ranches. Hudson, founder and chairman of Rogers-based Hudson Foods Inc., was chosen as the 1997 recipient of the award based on his support of the ranches and of children’s causes.
The Arkansas Sheriffs’ Boys and Girls Ranches are licensed child-care facilities that seek to secure safe, permanent homes and education for at-risk homes. The Ranch, which has been home to more than 275 children, receives the unanimous support of the Arkansas Sheriff’s Association.