September 22, 1984 – Michael Eisner and Frank Wells are Named CEO and President of Walt Disney Studios
L: Frank Wells. R: Michael Eisner
“I thought, you know, Frank [Wells]’s more of a businessman, and Michael [Eisner] is a little nuts, and the two together kind of in some ways made me think of Walt and my dad. So we began saying, ‘How would you two like to take this job?’” – Roy E. Disney
On September 22, 1984, Michael Eisner and Frank Wells were named CEO and President of Walt Disney Studios. Wells, a former classmate of Roy E. Disney’s, had suggested to Disney that Eisner would be a good chairman of the company, with Eisner being seen as having an amazing track record after his stint as the President and COO of Paramount Pictures Corp. Wells came to Disney from Warner Brothers as the Vice Chairman, and served as President and Chief Operating Officer. The two were able to bring Disney back to its glory in an era known as the “Disney Renaissance.” The partnership ended with the Wells’ death on April 3, 1994, with Eisner assuming the presidency on April 4th.
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