Dictionary Thesaurus Word Dynamo Quotes Reference Translator Spanish

Disney Legends

Established in 1987, the Disney Legends program recognizes men and women 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 appointed and chaired by Disney Legend Roy E. Disney, Walt Disney's nephew and Director Emeritus of The Walt Disney Company. The committee consists of long-time Disney executives, historians and other authorities.

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 handprints 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:

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

Recipients

1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990

1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000

2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007

1987

Fred MacMurray, Film

1988

No awards

1989

Les Clark, Animation (given posthumously)
Marc Davis, Animation & Imagineering
Ub Iwerks, Animation & Imagineering (given posthumously)
Ollie Johnston, Animation
Milt Kahl, Animation (given posthumously)
Ward Kimball, Animation & Imagineering
Eric Larson, Animation (given posthumously)
John Lounsbery, Animation (given posthumously)
Wolfgang Reitherman, Animation (given posthumously)
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 (given posthumously)
Herb Ryman, Imagineering (given posthumously)
Richard Sherman, Music
Robert Sherman, Music

1991

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

1992

Jimmie Dodd, Television (given posthumously)
Bill Evans, Imagineering
Annette Funicello, Film & Television
Joe Grant, Animation
Jack Hannah, Animation
Winston Hibler, Film (given posthumously)
Ken O'Connor, Animation & Imagineering
Roy Williams, Animation & Television (given posthumously)

1993

Pinto Colvig, Animation—Voice (given posthumously)
Buddy Ebsen, Film & Television
Peter Ellenshaw, Film
Blaine Gibson, Animation & Imagineering
Harper Goff, Film & Imagineering
Irving Ludwig, Film
Jimmy MacDonald, Animation—Voice (given posthumously)
Clarence Nash, Animation—Voice (given posthumously)
Donn Tatum, Administration
Card Walker, Administration

1994

Adriana Caselotti, Animation—Voice
Bill Cottrell, Animation & Imagineering
Marvin Davis, Film & Imagineering
Van France, Attractions
David Hand, Animation (given posthumously)
Jack Lindquist, Attractions
Bill Martin, Imagineering
Paul J. Smith, Music (given posthumously)
Frank Wells, Administration (given posthumously)

1995

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

1996

Bob Allen, Attractions (given posthumously)
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 (given posthumously)

1997

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

1998

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

1999

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

2000

Grace Bailey, Animation (awarded posthumously)
Harriet Burns, Imagineering
Joyce Carlson, Animation & Imagineering
Ron Dominguez, Parks & Resorts
Cliff Edwards, Animation—Voice (awarded posthumously)
Becky Fallberg, Animation
Dick Jones, Animation—Voice
Dodie Roberts, Animation
Retta Scott, Animation (awarded posthumously)
Ruthie Tompson, Animation

2001

Howard Ashman, Music (awarded posthumously)
Bob Broughton, Film
George Bruns, Music (awarded posthumously)
Frank Churchill, Music (awarded posthumously)
Leigh Harline, Music (awarded posthumously)
Fred Joerger, Imagineering
Alan Menken, Music
Martin Sklar, Imagineering
Ned Washington, Music (awarded posthumously)
Tyrus Wong, Animation

2002

In honor of the opening of the Walt Disney Studios Park at the Disneyland Resort 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 (awarded posthumously)
Phil Collins, Music
Sir John Mills, Film
Robert Newton, Film & Television (awarded posthumously)
Sir Tim Rice, Music
Robert (Bob) Stevenson, Film (awarded posthumously)
Richard Todd, Film & Television
David Tomlinson, Film (awarded posthumously)

2003

Following a dispute between Roy E. Disney and the company, which resulted in Roy resigning, Robert Iger, the company's then-president and COO replaced Roy as co-presenter with Michael Eisner.

Neil Beckett, Merchandise (awarded posthumously)
Tutti Camarata, Music
Edna Francis Disney (awarded posthumously)
Lillian Disney (awarded posthumously)
Orlando Ferrante, Imagineering
Richard Fleischer, Film
Floyd Gottfredson, Animation (awarded posthumously)
Buddy Hackett, Film & Television
Harrison Price, Research Economist
Alfred Taliaferro, Cartoonist (awarded posthumously)
Ilene Woods, Music—Voice

2004

Bill Anderson, Film, Television & Administration (awarded posthumously)
Tim Conway, Film
Rolly Crump, Imagineering
Alice Davis, Imagineering
Karen Dotrice, Film & Television
Matthew Garber, Film (awarded posthumously)
Leonard H. Goldenson, Television (awarded posthumously)
Bob Gurr, Imagineering
Ralph Kent, Imagineering & Attractions
Irwin Kostal, Music (awarded posthumously)
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.