[1] At 12 years old, Dillard began working for his father who owned a local general store.
[2] Dillard found employment with Sears & Roebuck Company where he gained experience in retail business.
Dillard returned to Arkansas and opened his first retail store in 1938 in the town of Nashville, Arkansas, after he borrowed US$8,000 from his father to sign the lease and install shelves, and stocking those shelves with merchandise supplied on generous credit, extended on the basis of wholesalers' long dealings with his father.
[2] His daughters, Drue Corbusier and Denise Mahaffy, and a third son, Mike Dillard, serve as vice presidents.
[1][2] In February 2020, the University of Arkansas announced the naming of William Dillard Accounting Department in honor of his legacy.