Supermarket chain executive. Walter William Ralphs was the nephew of Ralphs grocery store founder George A. Ralphs. When the company incorporated as the Ralphs Grocery Company in 1909, Walter W. Ralphs was one of three partners, along with his uncle and his father, Walter B. Ralphs. In 1914, after the death of George A. Ralphs, Walter W. Ralphs became president of the company. Over the years, he and his father and two cousins alternated holding the president’s title. In 1926, after receiving a demand from local bakeries to raise the price of a loaf of bread from five cents to 10 cents, Ralphs opened its own bakery and continued to sell bread for five cents a loaf. Walter W. Ralphs was instrumental in adding meat and produce departments to the traditional grocery and general store, and introduced a self-service concept in 1928. He is also credited with another radical idea for grocery stores — parking lots. (bio by: Mark Masek)