Take a look at a couple of story sketches from the project’s development …Īfter leaving the White House, Eisenhower and family visited Disneyland in 1961-and in 1963, he presented Walt with the George Washington Honor Medal of the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, honoring patriotism and good citizenship, pictured above. Created on donated time by several famed Disney animators (including Disney Legends Eric Larson and John Lounsbery), the We’ll Take Ike political cartoon premiered in the fall of ’52 and would be lauded for its effect on the outcome of the election. Once Disneyland Park was open, then former President Harry Truman paid a visit in 1957, with his wife, Bess at his side.ĭisney’s relationship to Eisenhower runs deeper than most… Asked by Eisenhower supporter (and renowned female aviator) Jacqueline Cochran to help with the 1952 campaign, the Disneys authorized studio volunteers to make an animated short in support of Ike. In a January 1934 letter addressed to Walt, first lady Eleanor Roosevelt admits that the entire first family enjoys the antics of Mickey Mouse-and she calls the president one of Mickey’s “devotees.” Walt would later appear on a May 1939 radio broadcast with FDR to celebrate the opening of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and the first lady herself would visit the Walt Disney Studios in April 1941. It’s more than just a visit to a theme park or a letter of congratulations as you’ll see, the Disney association for some presidents goes much deeper-and is much more fascinating…Īccording to the Archives, one of Walt’s earliest presidential associations was with FDR. With help from our good pals at the Walt Disney Archives, D23 celebrates President’s Day with a look back at the storied relationship between Walt, the company he created, and commanders-in-chief over the last eight decades. Presidents-men whose lives are equally as woven into the nation’s landscape. So it should come as no surprise that Walt enjoyed professional relationships with many U.S. From creating the first full-length animated feature, to the state-of-the-art Audio-Animatronics® figures we continue enjoy at Disney theme parks, and the astonishing innovation that flows from all parts of the Company to this very day… Walt truly had an impact on this country’s history. Few people have made as indelible a mark on American life as Walt Disney.
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