Disney Legends

Established in 1987, the Disney Legends program recognizes people who have made an extraordinary and integral contribution to The Walt Disney Company. The honor is awarded annually during a special ceremony.

Recipients are chosen by a selection committee, formerly appointed and chaired by the late Disney Legend Roy E. Disney, Walt Disney's nephew, former vice chairman, and director emeritus of The Walt Disney Company. The committee consists of long-time Disney executives, historians, and various other authorities. Roy Disney died on December 16, 2009. Disney's corporate headquarters in Burbank, California features a plaza honoring the recipients outside Team Disney - The Michael D. Eisner Building. Each honoree is represented by a bronze plaque; the plaque features the recipient's hand prints and signature if they were living when named a Disney Legend.

Artist Andrea Favilli created the Disney Legends award, which is handcrafted from bronze each year. The award depicts the arm of Mickey Mouse holding a star-tipped wand.

Disney describes the award as follows: The Disney Legends award has three distinct elements characterizing the contributions made by each talented recipient.

The Spiral ... stands for imagination, the power of an idea.
The Hand ... holds the gifts of skill, discipline, and craftsmanship.
The Wand and the Star ... represent magic: the spark that is ignited when imagination and skill combine to create a new dream.

When Disney opened its hall of fame, all the then-major Hollywood studios considered opening their own halls of fame, but (as of 2008) Disney remains the only major Hollywood studio to have one.

Recipients[]

1987[]

Fred MacMurray - Film

1988[]

Virginia Davis - Animation
Norman Palmer - Film

1989[]

Les Clark - Animation
Marc Davis - Animation & Imagineering
Ub Iwerks - Animation & Imagineering
Ollie Johnston - Animation
Milt Kahl - Animation
Ward Kimball - Animation & Imagineering
Eric Larson - Animation
John Lounsbery - Animation
Wolfgang Reitherman - Animation
Frank Thomas - Animation

All except Iwerks were Disney's "Nine Old Men".

1990[]

Roger Broggie - Imagineering
Joe Fowler - Attractions
John Hench - Animation & Imagineering
Richard Irvine -Imagineering
Herb Ryman - Imagineering
Richard Sherman - Music
Robert B. Sherman - Music

1991[]

Ken Anderson - Animation & Imagineering
Julie Andrews - Film
Carl Barks - Animation & Publishing
Mary Blair - Animation & Imagineering
Claude Coats - Animation & Imagineering
Don DaGradi - Animation & Film
Sterling Holloway - Animation—Voice
Fess Parker - Film & Television
Bill Walsh - Film & Television

1992[]

Jimmie Dodd - Television
Bill Evans -Imagineering
Annette Funicello - Film & Television
Joe Grant - Animation
Jack Hannah - Animation
Winston Hibler - Film
Ken O'Connor - Animation & Imagineering
Roy Williams - Animation & Television

1993[]

Pinto Colvig - Animation—Voice
Buddy Ebsen - Film & Televisio
Peter Ellenshaw - Film
Blaine Gibson - Animation & Imagineering
Harper Goff - Film & Imagineering
Irving Ludwig - Film
Jimmy MacDonald - Animation—Voice
Clarence Nash - Animation—Voice
Don Tatum - Administration
Card Walker - Administration

1994[]

Adriana Caselotti - Animation—Voice
Bill Cottrell - Animation & Imagineering
Marvin Davis - Film & Imagineering
Van France - Attractions
David Hand - Animation
Jack Lindquist - Attractions
Bill Martin - Imagineering
Paul Smith - Music
Frank Wells - Administration

1995[]

Wally Boag - Attractions
Fulton Burley - Attractions
Dean Jones - Film
Angela Lansbury - Film
Edward Meck - Attractions
Fred Moore - Animation
Thurl Ravenscroft - Animation—Voice
Wathel Rogers - Imagineering
Betty Taylor - Attractions

1996[]

Bob Allen - Attractions
Rex Allen - Film & Television
X Atencio - Animation & Imagineering
Betty Lou Gerson - Animation—Voice
Bill Justice - Animation & Imagineering
Bob Matheison - Attractions
Sam McKim - Imagineering
Bob Moore - Animation & Film
Bill Peet - Animation—Story
Joe Potter - Attractions

1997[]

Lucien Adés - Music
Angel Angelopoulos - Publishing
Antonio Bertini - Character Merchandise
Armand Bigle - Character Merchandise
Gaudenzio Capelli - Publishing
Roberto de Leonardis - Film
Cyril Edgar - Film
Wally Feignoux - Film
Didier Fouret - Publishing
Mario Gentilini - Publishing
Cyril James - Film & Merchandise
Horst Koblischek - Character Merchandise
Gunnar Mansson - Character Merchandise
Arnoldo Mondadori - Publishing
Armand Palivoda - Film
Poul Brahe Pederson - Publishing
André Vanneste - Character Merchandise
Paul Winkler - Character Merchandise

1998[]

James Algar - Animation & Film
Buddy Baker - Music
Kathryn Beaumont - Animation—Voice
Roy E. Disney - Film, Animation, & Administration
Don Escen - Administration
Wilfred Jackson - Animation
Glynis Johns - Film
Kay Kamen - Character Merchandise
Paul Kenworthy - Film
Larry Lansburgh - Film & Television
Hayley Mills - Film
Al Milotte and Elma Milotte - Film
Norman "Stormy" Palmer - Film
Lloyd Richardson - Film
Kurt Russell - Film
Ben Sharpsteen - Animation & Film
Masatomo Takahashi - Administration
Vladimir "Bill" Tytla - Animation
Dick Van Dyke - Film
Matsuo Yokoyama - Character Merchandise

1999[]

Tim Allen - Television, Film, & Animation-Voice
Mary Costa - Animation—Voice
Norman Ferguson - Animation
Bill Garity - Film
Yale Gracey - Animation & Imagineering
Al Konetzni - Character Merchandise
Hamilton Luske - Animation
Dick Nunis - Attractions
Charlie Ridgway - Attractions

2000[]

Grace Bailey - Animation
Harriet Burns - Imagineering
Joyce Carlson - Animation & Imagineering
Ron Dominguez - Parks & Resorts
Cliff Edwards - Animation—Voice
Becky Fallberg - Animation
Dickie Jones - Animation—Voice
Dodie Roberts - Animation
Retta Scott - Animation
Ruthie Tompson - Animation

2001[]

Howard Ashman - Music
Bob Broughton - Film
George Bruns - Music
Frank Churchill - Music
Leigh Harline - Music
Fred Joerger - Imagineering
Alan Menken - Music
Marty Sklar - Imagineering
Ned Washington - Music
Tyrus Wong - Animation

2002[]

In honor of the opening of the Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris, all 2002 inductees are of European origin. The ceremony was held in the Animation building at the new park on opening day.

Ken Annakin - Film
Hugh Attwooll - Film
Maurice Chevalier - Film
Phil Collins - Music
Sir John Mills - Film
Robert Newton - Film & Television
Sir Tim Rice - Music
Robert Stevenson - Film
Richard Todd - Film & Television
David Tomlinson - Film

2003[]

Following a dispute between Roy E. Disney and the company that resulted in Disney departing, Robert Iger, the company's then-president and COO co-presented with Michael Eisner.

Neil Beckett - Merchandise
Tutti Camarata - Music
Edna Francis Disney
Lillian Disney
Orlando Ferrante - Imagineering
Richard Fleischer - Film
Floyd Gottfredson - Animation
Buddy Hackett - Film & Television
Harrison "Buzz" Price - Research Economist. Located sites for Disneyland and Disney World.
Al Taliaferro - Cartoonist
Ilene Woods - Music—Voice

2004[]

Bill Anderson - Film, Television, & Administration
Tim Conway - Film
Rolly Crump - Imagineering
Alice Davis - Imagineering
Karen Dotrice - Film & Television
Matthew Garber - Film
Leonard H. Goldenson - Television
Bob Gurr - Imagineering
Ralph Kent - Imagineering & Attractions
Irwin Kostal - Music
Mel Shaw - Animation

2005[]

In honor of Disneyland's 50th anniversary in 2005, all recipients are related to either Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and/or Walt Disney Imagineering, and nearly all have had some connection with Disneyland. Roy E. Disney again co-presented the awards, after a two-year hiatus and a return to the company.