Yale Gracey

Yale Gracey
Background information
Born	Yale Wilbur Gracey September 3, 1910 Shanghai, Qing Dynasty, China
Died	September 5, 1983 (aged 73) Los Angeles, California, United States
Cause of death	Gunshot wound
Nationality	Chinese American
Occupation	Imagineer, writer, layout artist
Years active	1939–1975

Yale Wilbur Gracey was a Chinese-American Imagineer, writer, and layout artist for many Disney animated shorts. Gracey created many of the special effects for Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion attractions. He retired on October 4, 1975.

Death and legacy

Gracey was murdered while sleeping on September 5, 1983 in Los Angeles, California by a burglar, 2 days after his 73rd birthday. Gracey's wife, Beverly, was injured in the attack as well. Posthumously inducted as a Disney Legend in 1999, the Master Gracey character on the Haunted Mansion attraction is based on him. Every morning, Cast Members place a red rose on Master Gracey's grave. This is believed to have started in the 1980s after Gracey's murder as a tribute to the Imagineer.

Gallery

A 1965 group photograph of Disney artists in the WED parking lot in Glendale, California, from left to right: Herbert Ryman, Ken O'Brien, Collin Campbell, Marc Davis, Al Bertino, Wathel Rogers, Mary Blair, T. Hee, Blaine Gibson, X. Atencio, Claude Coats, and Yale Gracey.

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References

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In the Past Disney's Nine Old Men: Milt Kahl • Frank Thomas • Ollie Johnston • Les Clark • John Lounsbery • Marc Davis • Ward Kimball • Eric Larson • Wolfgang Reitherman Animators: Bill Tytla • Art Babbitt • Preston Blair • Fred Moore • Shamus Culhane • Cy Young • Don Lusk • Norman Ferguson • Hal King • Jack Hannah • Jack Kinney • Hal Ambro • Ken O'Brien • Judge Whitaker • Bill Justice • Don Bluth • Gary Goldman • Charles A. Nichols • Blaine Gibson • John Kennedy • John Ewing • Walt Stanchfield • Fred Hellmich • Andy Paliwoda • Wilfred Jackson • Xavier Atencio Visual Development, Layout, Background Artists and Character Designers: Gustaf Tenggren • Mary Blair • Joe Grant • Mel Shaw • Claude Coats • Don DaGradi • John Hench • Eyvind Earle • Ken O'Connor • Thor Putnam • Albert Hurter • John Hubley Storyboard Artists and Writers: Bill Peet • Ralph Wright • Dick Huemer • Floyd Norman • Yale Gracey Directors: Clyde Geronimi • Hamilton Luske • Jack Kinney • Ted Berman • Richard Rich • Leo Matsuda • Nathan Greno • George Scribner Producers: Walt Disney • Ron Miller • Ken Anderson In the Renaissance, the Present and the Revival Renaissance Directors: Rob Minkoff • Roger Allers • Gary Trousdale • Kirk Wise • Chris Sanders • Mark Dindal • John Musker Story Trust Directors: Ron Clements • Chris Buck • Byron Howard • Don Hall • Chris Williams • Rich Moore • Stephen J. Anderson Producers: Peter Del Vecho • Clark Spencer • Roy Conli • Dorothy McKim • Don Hahn Chief Creative Officer: Jennifer Lee Associated Figures: Bob Iger • Roy Edward Disney • Michael Eisner • John Lasseter • Ed Catmull • Jeffrey Katzenberg • Bob Chapek Signature Voice Actors: Jim Cummings • Alan Tudyk • Katie Lowes • John DiMaggio • Maurice LaMarche • Jodi Benson • David Ogden Stiers • Jesse Corti • Paul Briggs • Raymond S. Persi • Phil Johnston • Frank Welker • Bill Farmer • Brian Cummings Signature Musicians: Sherman Brothers • Robert B. Sherman • Richard Sherman • Alan Menken • Kristen Anderson-Lopez • Robert Lopez • Lin-Manuel Miranda • Howard Ashman • Tim Rice • Stephen Schwartz • Marc Shaiman Supervising Animators: Glen Keane • Andreas Deja • Alex Kupershmidt • Eric Goldberg • Mark Henn • John Pomeroy • T. Daniel Hofstedt • Tony Bancroft • Tom Bancroft • Tony Fucile • Russ Edmonds • Duncan Marjoribanks • Ruben Aquino • Nik Ranieri • Ron Husband • Rick Farmiloe • Tom Sito • Tony Anselmo Visual Development & Storyboard Artists: Dean DeBlois • Lisa Keene • Claire Keane • Brittney Lee • Jin Kim • Shiyoon Kim • Cory Loftis