A new speaker series featuring Disney Imagineers will offer a behind-the-scenes look at Walt Disney’s influence and legacy as Chapman University lays the groundwork for the first academic think tank dedicated to the life and work of the Disneyland founder.
The Walt Disney Speaker Series kicks off on Feb. 21 at the Orange County research university and continues on select dates through May 16.
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The speaker series curated by Disney historian and Chapman Presidential Fellow Jeff Kurtti will bring together retired Imagineers and documentarians who will share never-before-heard accounts of Walt’s innovative spirit and creative process.
Throughout his career, Kurtti has worked for Walt Disney Imagineering, served as the Walt Disney Family Museum creative director and written dozens of books on Disney history.
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Let’s take a closer look at the four lectures in the Walt Disney Speaker Series at Chapman University in Old Towne Orange.
Walt Disney: The First Imagineer
Feb. 21
Former Imagineer Tom Morris will recount the birth in 1952 of WED Enterprises — the precursor to Walt Disney Imagineering, the secretive creative laboratory where theme park designers create Disney’s fantasy worlds and attractions.
Morris will discuss how Walt assembled creative teams that merged imaginative vision with engineering expertise.
Walt Disney and Music: The Sherman Brothers
March 14
Jeffrey Sherman will screen his “The Boys: The Sherman Brothers Story” documentary film on the songwriting duo who wrote more than 200 songs for more than 50 Disney films and television shows.
The son of songwriter Robert Sherman — one half of the brother tandem — will reflect on how the songwriting team wrote music for “Mary Poppins” and “The Jungle Book” as well as the Enchanted Tiki Room and It’s a Small World attractions at Disneyland.
Walt Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde at Disney’s Aulani Hotel in Hawaii. (Courtesy of Disney)
Walt Disney and the Worlds of Nature
April 4
Former Imagineer and Disney Legend Joe Rohde will examine how Disney’s “Bambi” and “True-Life Adventures” raised awareness about nature conservation.
Rohde is best known for his work on Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the Florida park’s Pandora — World of Avatar themed land, the Aulani resort hotel in Hawaii and the Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: Breakout attraction at Disney California Adventure.
Walt Disney and the Nine Old Men
May 16
Theodore Thomas will screen his “Growing Up with Nine Old Men” documentary featurette on his father Frank Thomas, who was one of Walt’s key animators in the 1950s.
Theodore Thomas will share stories about the Nine Old Men and Disney’s golden era of animation.
Frank Thomas worked on nearly 20 Disney animated films including “Pinocchio,” “Peter Pan,” “Sleeping Beauty” and “Cinderella.”
He also played piano with other Disney animators in the Firehouse Five Plus Two jazz band that performed at Disneyland.
All four Friday night programs start at 7 p.m. in the Argyros Forum at Chapman University. Admission is free and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
The speaker series is part of Chapman’s broader goal of establishing the first Walt Disney academic think tank to study the life, legacy and influence of the Disneyland founder.
Kurti is working with Chapman professor Brian Alters on the scholarly think tank that would study the life, legacy and global impact of Walt Disney and his influence on art, music, culture, business, economic development, transportation, urban planning, themed environments, placemaking, science, technology and innovation.
Alters and Kurtti are expected to complete the Walt Disney Think Tank feasibility report in about a year.