November 19, 1906 – Imagineer and Disney Legend Bill Cottrell is Born
“…it was Uncle Bill who was Walt’s counselor and right-hand man.” – Imagineer Marvin Davis
On November 19, 1906, William Cottrell was born in South Bend, Indiana. After graduating from Occidental College in Los Angeles, California, Cottrell had a stint with George Herriman’s “Krazy Kat” before he was offered a job with the Walt Disney Studios working cameras. He then worked as a cutter and animation director before transitioning into the story department. One of shorts he is most known for is Who Killed Cock Robin? Cottrell also served as a sequence director on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and contributed to the story on Pinocchio. He also was chosen to be part of the goodwill tour to South America with Walt Disney.
In 1952, Cottrell was named the vice president of WED Enterprises, using his skills from the story department to develop the story lines and dialogue for the new Disneyland attractions. He also helped develop the Zorro serial for the Disneyland television series. In 1964, he was named President of Retlaw Enterprises, the Walt Disney family corporation, a position he held until 1982. Cottrell became the first person to receive the 50-year Disney service award, and was named a Disney Legend in 1994. Cottrell passed away in 1995.
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