August 15, 1901 – Lyricist and Disney Legend Ned Washington is Born
“[Washington] would win an Academy Award not just for ‘When You Wish Upon a Star,’ and for the score, but he won another Academy Award for another song he wrote in 1952…so he really is someone who, historically, is very much associated with very popular song.” – Daniel Goldmark, Music Professor at Case Western Reserve University
On August 15, 1901, Ned Washington was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He joined the Disney Studios in 1938, writing songs for the animated feature films Pinocchio, Saludos Amigos, and Dumbo. Washington was awarded two Academy Awards for Pinocchio, one for Best Original Song for “When You Wish Upon a Star,” and the other for Best Original Score. Washington was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Baby Mine” from Dumbo. Washington left the Disney Studios in 1940. Over the course of his career, Washington was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, winning once more for his song “High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin’)” from the 1952 film High Noon. Washington passed away in 1976. He was named a Disney Legend in 2001.
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