February 15 1899 – Birth of Disney Legend and Wife of Walt Disney, Lillian Disney
Lillian, far left, stands with Walt, his sister Ruth, Roy, and Roy's wife Edna, in a shot from 1925
“I think my dad fell in love with her almost immediately … she was an independent little lady.” – Diane Disney Miller
Lillian Bounds Disney, wife of Walt Disney, was born in Spalding, Idaho, in 1899 as the tenth and youngest child of the family. In 1923, she traveled to Los Angeles to visit her sister, and a friend of hers recommended her for a job at the Disney Brothers Studio as an ink and paint girl. There was one condition: “Don’t flirt with the boss,” her friend warned her. “He’s all business.” Lillian, however, had no intention of flirting with Walt; this was not a love-at-first-sight romance for either of them, for Walt was too consumed with the business, and Lillian was not impressed with the shabbiness of his clothes. She took the job due to its proximity to her sister’s house and the salary of fifteen dollars a week.
Walt would drive Lillian and another coworker home after long days at the studio. Lillian later said, “When Walt started dropping the other girl off first so he could talk to me, I knew he was interested.” She also admitted that during these rides home, she started to see Walt differently, looking at him “like he was a somebody.” One evening as he dropped her off, he informed her, “I’m going to buy a new suit. When I get it, would it be all right if I called on you?” Lillian said that it would, and when Walt got his new suit in celebration of a check for their films, he arrived at her house and asked her eagerly about the suit. They dated steadily after that, and on July 13, 1925, Walt and Lillian were married. From then on, Lillian worked at the studio only in times of emergency.
One of the major contributions attributed to Lillian involved Walt’s famous creation, Mickey Mouse. While the story of Mickey’s creation has been shrouded in legend and mystery, the one common factor is that Lillian came up with the name for the new character. Walt wanted to name the mouse Mortimer, but Lillian decided that the better name would be Mickey, and he agreed.
Lillian accompanying Walt to the premiere of Mary Poppins
Lillian was not one to meekly listen to Walt, nor was she one to care about what the press reported about him. Walt once told a reporter that Lillian didn’t care what reporters would say about him. “I keep reporters away from her,” he explained. “She’s given them the lowdown.” Perhaps the success to their long marriage was the fact that Lillian was never overly impressed by Walt and his accomplishments. She did worry when he worked long hours, but overall, she didn’t regard him as a genius, as most people did. Walt, however, would show her affection by either physical actions, such as wrapping an arm around her, or learning how to dance so they could dance together during social functions.
After Walt’s death, Lillian stepped in the public arena to lend support to the Florida Project, which would be renamed Walt Disney World in his honor. She attended the dedication ceremony in 1971, saying, “I think Walt would have approved,” when asked what Walt would have thought of the park. She continued her late husband’s support of education by providing financial gifts to the California Institute of the Arts, particularly to remodel a campus theater in 1993, which was renamed the Walt Disney Modular Theater. In 1987, Lillian announced a $50 million gift to build a symphonic hall for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, now known as the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The building was designed by architect Frank Gehry and opened in 2003.
In 1969, Lillian remarried to John L. Truyens, but he unfortunately died in 1981. Lillian herself passed away on December 16, 1997, after suffering a stroke at the age of 98. She was named a Disney Legend in 2003, honoring all of her contributions in support of the company’s growth.
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