December 20, 1924 – Imagineer, Artist, Actor, and Disney Legend Sam McKim is Born
“Sam’s creations at Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and other parks are many. Frontierland comes to mind as one of his major contributions. It was an honor to know Sam McKim, a man of very high character.” – Former Imagineer George McGinnis
On December 20, 1924, John Samuel McKim was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. While still young, his family moved from Canada to Seattle, Washington; they would eventually move to Los Angeles due to his father’s health issues. He and his four siblings were child actors in Hollywood, with Sam, at age 10, being the first to enter the entertainment business. He got a contract with Republic Picutres, working mostly in B-films and Westerns, appearing with such stars as Spencer Tracy and Gene Autry. McKim always had a talent for art, and in high school, he sent his drawings to the Walt Disney Studios. He was then offered a job in the traffic department as a foot in the door; instead of taking the job, he decided to apply for the United States Army with his brother David. Although the two were turned down due to the fact that they were not U.S. citizens, the two applied for citizenship the next year and successfully applied for the Army after that, effectively leaving acting behind. McKim served in the American Infantry Division in WWII, and attended the Art Center College of Design after the war was over. Directly after graduation, he was drafted into the Korean War, and attended the Chouinard Art Institute after returning from Korea.
In 1953, McKim took a job at 20th Century Fox creating story sketches for films. After a series of layoffs at Fox in 1954, McKim took a job at the Walt Disney Studios, using his art skills to create inspirational sketches for Walt Disney’s pet project, Disneyland. McKim worked on sketches for almost every aspect of the park, including Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. McKim was also asked to contribute to storyboarding of several Disney films and shows, including The Gnome Mobile, Big Red, and Zorro. During the development of Walt Disney World, McKim continued his contribution to the look of the park, developing sketches for Disney-MGM Studios (now Hollywood Studios) and several Epcot attractions. What McKim is most known for, however, is being the creator of the Disneyland souvenir maps from 1958 to 1964, which has become a highly sought collector’s item. In 1992, McKim was also asked to create the map for Disneyland Paris, in commemoration of its opening. In 1996, McKim was honored as a Disney Legend for his work as an Imagineer. He passed away on July 9, 2004, at the age of 79.
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