January 9, 1913 – Former President of Walt Disney Productions and Disney Legend Donn Tatum is Born
“The world will miss Donn, but we at Disney who looked to him for wisdom, guidance and balance will miss him more.” – Chairman Michael Eisner and President Frank Wells
On January 9, 1913, Donn B. Tatum was born. He grew up in Los Angeles, California, and attended Stanford University, earning a degree in political science and economics. After this, he attended Oxford University in England, earning both a Bachelors and Masters law degree. He passed the bar exam in 1938, and soon after became a partner in the law firm Lillick, Geary and McHose. After serving as counsel for RCA, NBC, and ABC, as well as helping to shape legislation for the new medium of television, Tatum became the general manager of KABC-TV and the western television director for ABC. In 1956, he was hired by Disney as the production business manager. In 1971, Tatum was named as the chief executive and board chairman after the death of Roy O. Disney, making him the first non-Disney family member to run the company. He stayed CEO until 1976, and stayed as chairman until 1980; in 1980, he handed the control of the company to Card Walker. Tatum also served on several Disney related boards, including being named as chairman of the board for CalArts, and president of the Disney Foundation. Tatum passed away on May 31, 1993, after battling cancer. He was inducted later in 1993 as a Disney Legend.
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