By Bartee Haile

By the time their eighth child arrived on Feb. 11, 1889, the Hunts were running out of names as well as room. The couple called the boy Haroldson Lafayette Jr., never dreaming he would prefer to go by his initials and someday would be the richest man in America. 

Tutored at home by his mother, H.L. Hunt was reading at the age of two. Although he went to school only to play with friends at recess, he got a good education for the times.

At 16 Hunt worked his way west doing odd jobs f...