Roy O. Disney
| Roy O. Disney | |
|---|---|
 | |
| CEO of The Walt Disney Company | |
| In office 1929–1971 | |
| Preceded by | First CEO |
| Succeeded by | Donn Tatum |
| Disney President | |
| In office 1966–1968 | |
| Preceded by | Walt Disney |
| Succeeded by | Donn Tatum |
| Disney Chairman | |
| In office 1945–1971 | |
| Preceded by | Walt Disney |
| Succeeded by | Donn Tatum |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Roy Oliver Disney June 24, 1893 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | December 20, 1971 (aged 78) Burbank, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Edna Francis (1925–1971; his death) |
| Relations | Herbert Arthur Disney (brother) Raymond Arnold Disney (brother) Walter Elias Disney (brother) Ruth Flora Disney (sister) |
| Children | Roy E. Disney (1930-2009) |
| Parents | Elias Disney Flora Call Disney |
| Occupation | Entertainment industry executive |
| Religion | Christian (Congregationalist) |
Roy Oliver Disney (June 24, 1893 – December 20, 1971) was an American businessman, partner and co-founder, along with his younger brother Walt Disney, of Walt Disney Productions, now known as The Walt Disney Company.
Early life
Roy was born to Irish-Canadian Elias Disney and English-German-American Flora Call Disney in Chicago, Illinois. Roy served in the US Navy from 1917–1919; a year later his brother Walt tried joining the US Army, only being refused due to being under age. Roy was later discharged from military duty after contracting tuberculosis, and became a banker in Los Angeles. In 1923, Walt moved to Hollywood, joining Roy, together founding the Disney Bros Studio. Roy and Walt ordered and built kit houses from Pacific Ready Cut Homes (a Los Angeles company) and in 1928, they built their homes side by side on Lyric Avenue. Their homes were slightly customized and enlarged, and do not exactly match the original homes featured in the Pacific Ready Cut Homes catalogs.[1]
Walt Disney Productions
While Walt was the creative man, Roy was the one who made sure the company was financially stable; Roy and Walt both founded Disney Studios as brothers, but Walt would buy out most of Roy's share in 1929 and, unlike Max and Dave Fleischer of rival Fleischer Studios, Roy was not a co-producer.
Roy became the company's first CEO in 1929, although the official title was not given until 1968. He also shared the role of Chairman of the Board with Walt from 1945. Walt however dropped the Chairman title in 1960 so he could focus more on the creative aspects of the company. After Walt Disney's death in 1966, Roy postponed his retirement to oversee construction of what was then known as Disney World, and later renamed it Walt Disney World as a tribute to his brother. Roy became the president of Walt Disney Productions on December 15, 1966, and remained so until 1968.
Personal life
Roy was married to Edna Francis[2] from April 1925 until his death; their son[3] Roy Edward Disney, was born on January 10, 1930. Throughout his life, Roy rejected the publicity and fame that came with being Walt's brother. He was extremely camera shy, and a passive individual resulting in few public photos being in existence.
Death
After Walt Disney World opened in October 1971, Roy Disney finally retired. In early December of that year, he complained of a "spot" over one of his eyes and was scheduled to visit his optometrist for a new eyeglass prescription. He was discovered in a dazed condition, collapsed, next to his bed by family members; he died from a seizure. His interment is located in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery.
Tributes
A statue of Roy O. Disney seated on a park bench beside Minnie Mouse is located in the Town Square section of Main Street, U.S.A., at the Magic Kingdom theme park in Florida. A duplicate is located outside the Team Disney building at Disney's corporate headquarters in Burbank, California. There is a third statue at the Tokyo Disneyland theme park. The Roy O. Disney Suite is located on the top floor of the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel.
See also
References
- ↑ "Pollard-Terry, Gayle. "12,000 Easy Pieces," Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2006, accessed 5 July 2011". Articles.latimes.com. 2004-08-19. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
- ↑ Posted by Daniel (2009-08-01). "Disney's Magic Makers: Edna Francis Disney". Netcot.com. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
- ↑ "The Windows on Main Street: Roy E. Disney". Wdwcentral.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
Further reading
- Bob Thomas Building a Company: Roy O. Disney and the Creation of an Entertainment Empire. Disney Editions, 1998. ISBN 0-7868-6200-9
External links
| Business positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by First CEO |
CEO of The Walt Disney Company 1929–1971 |
Succeeded by Donn Tatum |
| Preceded by Walt Disney |
Disney President 1966–1968 |
Succeeded by Donn Tatum |
| Preceded by Walt Disney |
Disney Chairman 1945–1971 |
Succeeded by Donn Tatum |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|