Home Features Mastermind Videos About Advertise Blog Network Contact
   

Have A Suggestion?
Toronto Salsa Classes / Toronto Salsa Lessons Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
Have A Suggestion?

Featured Ebook


ebook Famous Entrepreneurs - Modern Empire Builders


Featured Ebook

More Evan Carmichael
Have A Suggestion?

Sales Lessons From Starbucks And Dell

The Man Behind The Mouse: Walt Disney Is Born



  Articles
The Man Behind The Mouse: Walt Disney Is Born
   

“The era we are living in today is a dream of coming true,” Walt Disney once said. Indeed, Disney’s life was of the stuff dreams are made.

The man who had one of the most fertile imaginations in history, who managed to turn his musings into a billion dollar company and whose legacy would continue to live on for decades after his death, was born Walter Elias Disney on December 5, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois. The family quickly moved from the increasingly dangerous city of Chicago to Marceline, Missouri, where they purchased a farm. Because he was too young to work, Disney spent most of his time on the farm playing with his four siblings and the animals. He would later reflect on this period as the best years of his life.

It was on the farm where Disney first discovered his passion for drawing when a retired doctor who lived next door to the family paid Disney to draw pictures of his horse. But, his idyllic farm days would not last long. In 1909, his father developed typhoid fever and, unable to work, was forced to sell the farm. The family moved to Kansas City, much to the dismay of Disney, where his father made him wake up at 3am to work on a local newspaper route delivering the Kansas City Star.

In school, Disney was an average student, with a penchant for doodling rather than listening to his teachers. When he was 15, he got a summer job working for the Santa Fe Railroad, selling items to passengers as trains rolled in. But, Disney found himself more fascinated with the trains than sales and did not last long on the job. During high school, he also occupied his time drawing patriotic cartoons for the school newspaper. And, when he could find enough time, he would attend night classes at the Chicago Art Institute.

At 16, Disney finally dropped out of school to join the Army, only to be rejected for being too young. He then decided to forge his birth certificate and join the American Red Cross Ambulance Corps, but by the time he finished his training, the war had ended. Disney decided to stay in France and worked as an ambulance driver, all the while continuing to spend his spare time drawing, completely covering his ambulance with his own cartoon creations. After two years, Disney grew lonely in Europe and returned to America, where he decided to finally pursue his passion seriously.

Upon returning, Disney immediately went to see his family; he wanted to share with them his newfound dreams of becoming an artist. But, his father did not support his career choice and so Disney returned to Kansas City on his own. With the help of his older brother, Roy, Disney found work making print ads at the Pesemen-Rubin Art Studio and continued experimenting with animation. He soon found himself fascinated with the possibilities of animation and knew he had finally found his niche.



Like this article? Share it with your friends


Related Articles Related Articles
About Walt Disney
  Walt Disney may be one of America’s most beloved visionaries and entrepreneurs, but there is much about Walt Disney that his fans don’t know. For instance, did you know that Walt Disney’s actual autograph bears no r...
Walt Disney World
  In the Frommer’s Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, author Bob Sehlinger says, “When it comes to Walt Disney World you either need a plan or a frontal lobotomy.” Indeed, as huge a complex of theme parks as Walt ...
Walt Disney Florida
  Following the success of the world famous Disneyland in California, founder Walt Disney wanted to expand his operations. He quietly began purchasing land in central Florida under the mask of fake companies in order ...
Lesson #4: Take Control
  “I don't like formal gardens,” said Disney. “I like wild nature. It's just the wilderness instinct in me, I guess." Despite his apparent disregard for structure, Disney was a hands-on entrepreneur, who enjoyed ta...
Walt Disney Resort
  In 1955, the first Walt Disney Resort opened in Anaheim, California. It was extremely popular, but despite its success, market research revealed that only two percent of visitors that came to the resort were from ea...

Related Forum Posts Related Forum Posts
Words of inspiration Words of inspiration
Entrepreneurs who didn't need college Entrepreneurs who didn't need college
Re: WACOM Pens Re: WACOM Pens
Re: Best Pen - EVER!! Re: Best Pen - EVER!!
Required Forum Fix Required Forum Fix
YouTube unveils anti-piracy protection YouTube unveils anti-piracy protection
Business names Business names
The Dsiney Way The Dsiney Way

 
Famous Entrepreneur Video
Walt Disney Video - A documentary looking at Walt Disney's character. Includes interviews with artists Bill Melendez, David Hilberman, Mary Eastman, Bill Hurtz, Marie Beardsley, and Bill Littlejohn, screenwriter Joan Scott, and biographers Marc Eliot, Richard Schickel, and Bob Thomas.
Become An Author

Walt Disney Picture Walt Disney Newsletter
Get our free newsletter to learn more about Walt Disney and other famous entrepreneurs!

Email:
Name: