Walt Disney and the Benton Grammar School

On September 12, 1904, the residents of Kansas City, Missouri, celebrated the opening of the Benton Grammar School. Named in honor of Senator Thomas Benton, the school as originally built had just 12 rooms and a kindergarten.

Benton Grammar School.

Walt Disney attended Benton between September 1911 and June 1917. While at Benton, a young Walt Disney impersonated President Abraham Lincoln, going so far as to don a cape and stovepipe hat. Disney so impressed the principal with his recitation of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, he was taken into each of the school’s classrooms, where he repeated his performance for the enjoyment of other students.

Front cover of The Bentonian, a soft-cover yearbook-type booklet published by the school's administrators.

About six months ago I acquired a soft-cover yearbook publication titled, "The Bentonian." The booklet contains a letter written by Walt Disney, in response to request from his former principal for a post graduation update. In the letter, dated February 18, 1931, Walt Disney wrote:

"Dear Mr. Cottingham: I was very pleased to receive your kind letter of February 6. I have often thought of you and my former teachers at Benton and have always had a feeling that I should enjoy a little visit with you on one of my trips to New York. Quite a few of my classmates have dropped in to see me, from time to time, and I have enjoyed discussing with them our school days together.

When I was in school, Benton had a record of winning the K.C.A.C. meet six years in succession. I have often wondered what sort of record the school has held since that time. I was graduated from Benton in June of 1917 and spent my last year under Miss Beck. I have often wondered about Miss Beck, and if she is still teaching in Kansas City. I would like you to extend to her my kindest regards.

My high school career was very short. After I was graduated I worked during the summer as a News Butch on the railroad, and the following fall moved to Chicago. I spent my Freshman year there. Following that I joined the Red Cross as an ambulance driver and went to France. I was in France one year. I met an old classmate from Benton while in France. I can’t seem to remember his name, but he was one of two brothers, who were on the track team in school. He told me that Walter Clayton was in a hospital in Toul, France, but by the time I arrived in Toul, Walter had been transferred. I returned from France in the fall of 1919.

I went to Kansas City, and started to work for the Grey Advertising Company as an Apprentice Artist. I left that company to work for the Film Service Company of Kansas City, and it was there that I learned the work in which I am still engaged.

While I was working with the Film Service Company I made a short weekly film for Frank Newman, and this led to the establishing of a Studio of my own. I made cartoon versions of fairy tales, but this venture was not successful. I moved to California in 1923 and started in business with my brother Roy. Since that time we have built our business up to what it is today, and at the present time we have a Studio employing about seventy-five persons, both artists and technicians.

Our products are shown all over the world and are meeting with great success. We have our own sound apparatus and produce the entire picture in our own Studio. In addition to the Mickey Mouse cartoons, we produce a series known as Silly Symphony cartoons. Several years ago I produced a series of educational films on "Child Care of the Teeth," for Doctor McCrum, who conducts a dental clinic at the Linwood School. I thank you for your interest, and extend to you my best personal regards. It was good to know that I have not been forgotten by my Alma Mater. Kindly extend my kindest regards to all my friends and former teachers at Benton, and be assured that I am looking forward to the time when I can visit Benton again.

My best personal regards to you,

Walt Disney."

The back cover of The Bentonian features a great Mickey Mouse illustration.

Almost 11 years to the day he wrote that letter, Walt Disney and his wife Lillian made a stopover in Kansas City. The Disney’s were on their way back to California, after attending the Washington, D.C. premiere of The New Spirit, an income tax film produced at the Studio for the Treasury Department. Disney had been invited back to Kansas City by his former teacher, Miss Daisy Beck. While there Disney renewed old friendships and visited childhood haunts.

A special mural unveiling ceremony was held in Disney’s honor in the Benton gymnasium. An article in the Port Arthur News, published the year prior to Disney’s visit reported: "Miss Corrine Mitchell, working on a Works Progress Administration art project and using drawings from Disney’s studio, is making the murals in two 4 by 10 panels. In them, Pluto, Mickey Mouse, Snow White, Donald Duck and others will be depicted."

Disney treated the estimated 800 students, teachers and parents in attendance to a showing of two cartoons, including The New Spirit. Disney voice talent Clarence Nash, and a Works Progress Administration orchestra provided additional entertainment. The February 20, 1942 Emporia Daily Gazette reported, "...present at the reunion was 'the voice of Donald Duck,' Clarence Nash. He had a dummy of 'Donald' and the dummy was presented with a birthday cake in honor of 'Donald's' eighth year of success."

Following Nash’s skit, Disney was awarded the school’s silver Loving Cup, which Benton’s relay team had won in 1917. Disney had participated on the team at the behest of teacher Daisy Beck.

South Central Business Association luncheon that followed the Benton Grammar School ceremony. From left to right: Homer Blackwell (National Screen Service); Clarance Nash (voice of Donald Duck); Mrs. Lillian Disney; John Gage (Kansas City Mayor); Walt Disney; Edwin Barnes Sr. (SCBA President); Frank Land (founder of the Grand Council of DeMolay, of which Walt Disney was a member); Mrs. Joseph Wirthman; Keith Martin (Director of the Kansas City Art Institute - Disney attended the school); and three of Disney's Benton classmates.
Photo courtesy Kansas City Library Archives.

At the conclusion of the school ceremony, Disney and his entourage attended a luncheon in his honor, sponsored by the South Central Business Association. The luncheon was held at the Blue Bird Cafeteria, not far from Disney’s old Laugh-O-Gram studio on Troost Street, and Bert Hudson’s barbershop, where Disney’s early childhood drawings had been purchased and put on display.

1931 Christmas card, sent to Disney's grade two teacher, Ethel Fischer.
Courtesy Hake's Americana.

Despite a whack on the wrist for bringing a live mouse to school, Disney had an affinity for his Benton Grammar School teachers, including Miss Daisy Beck, whom he frequently corresponded with. The Disney’s visit to Kansas City ended with a dinner hosted by Beck at a private residence.

The Benton School was recently sold and was undergoing conversion into condominiums. It’s not known what happened to the murals.

Rare footage of Walt Disney skiing

Click here.

Gobble, gobble...

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends from your neighbor north of the 49th.


Today's post features the original "rough" art for the November 1947 issue of Western Family magazine. The art was created by legendary Disney Publicity and Merchandise Department artist Hank Porter. Porter created well over a dozen different covers for Western Family.

An October 1947 note from Western Family Editor, Audree Lyons regarding this particular cover read in part: “Dear Hank. Just a note to express thanks from all of us over here for the fine job you did on our Thanksgiving cover. We...are very pleased with the looks of the cover...thank you – again – for an excellent job.”

A letter from the editor published in the Thanksgiving issue read, “We’re always being asked to use more Walt Disney characters on our covers. Seems that many of our readers save the covers, frame them for the walls of their children’s rooms. It’s an idea, if your child sighs for Mickey Mouse. Our friend, Hank Porter, of the Disney Studios, drew this Thanksgiving cover for us.”

Enjoy!

Mickey Mouse and the North Pole

George Hubert Wilkins was an Australian-born pilot, soldier, polar explorer, geographer, and bird lover. Perhaps his most notable feat was his submarine expedition to the North Pole. With financial and scientific support from several prominent organizations and wealthy businessmen, Wilkins hatched a plan to become the first person to sail a submarine under the Polar Ice Cap.

In July 1930 Wilkins signed an agreement for the use of the 0-12 submarine for scientific research. Simon Lake, the father of the modern submarine, chose the name Nautilus for the 0-12, hoping in part to capitalize on the association with Jules Verne’s novel.

Nautilus measured 175 feet in length, weighed 560 tons and was powered by electric batteries. The submarine’s air capacity could supply 20 men for five days and the hull could withstand pressure up to 200 feet below sea level.

Presentation art given to Wilkins by Walt Disney. Image courtesy the Ohio State University Library Archives.

Before embarking on his mission, Wilkins received numerous messages from well-wishers, including a piece of art sent by Walt Disney. Wilkins later said, "One of the greetings I appreciated most came from Walt Disney in Hollywood."

Wilkins’ polar mission was fraught with bad luck from the outset – prior to christening the sub’s quartermaster was swept overboard and drowned, and while transiting the Atlantic, the sub’s engines failed and Nautilus had to be towed to Ireland for repairs.

Perhaps the most depressing news, however, came when Nautilus arrived in Arctic waters and was just 600 miles from the North Pole – at this critical moment in the mission’s history, commander Captain Danenhower, discovered the sub’s diving planes were missing. Wilkins thought privately one of the crew had purposely forgotten to load the pieces of equipment due to the prevailing thought the mission was suicidal in nature.

Wilkins and his submarine Nautilus in the Arctic. Image courtesy the Ohio State University Library Archives.

On August 31, 1931, Danenhower devised a technique to take the sub under the ice by trimming the sub two degrees down at the bow, and after meeting Wilkins to discuss his idea, Danenhower proceeded to take Nautilus under a three-foot ice flow. In spite of the missing diving planes, Wilkins considered the mission a success – he became the first to sail a sub under the Arctic ice; determined the salinity of water at various depths; took samples of plankton and mapped northern geography.

Walt Disney actually had the pleasure of meeting Wilkins at a gathering of the Breakfast Club, on September 28, 1932. The club, whose members included Louis B. Mayer, Darryl Zanuck, Tom Mix, Cecile B. DeMille, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Jack and Harry Warner, met every Wednesday morning for a breakfast social centered on the consumption of ham and eggs. The club's first meetings were held on the grounds of a riding stable on the outskirts of Griffith Park. Participants were entertained during their meeting with music and guest speakers, and the event was usually broadcast on live radio.

From left: Captain Bernt Balchen, Walt Disney astride a wooden pony nicknamed "Ham," and Sir Hubert Wilkins. The photo was taken at a Breakfast Club meeting, September 28, 1932. (Balchen was a polar and aviation pioneer who also served in the U.S. Army Air Force in WW II. Postwar Balchen commanded the 10th Rescue Squadron. Under his leadership the unit developed cutting edge cold weather search and rescue techniques still in use today). Image courtesy the Ohio State University Library Archives.

Besides paying a $500 entrance fee, the club’s bizarre initiation ritual had new members mount the club’s mascot “Ham,” a wooden horse, where they were then instructed to hold his tail with their right hand, place their left hand on a plate of ham and eggs and recite the club’s pledge of allegiance.

I am not sure why Walt Disney created the publicity art for Wilkins – did Disney harbor an interest in polar exploration; was there a personal connection to Wilkins; or was it just a friendly gesture made by a cartoon producer caught-up in the publicity surrounding the romance of the mission? Unfortunately Ohio State University, where many of Wilkins' private papers and photographs are housed, was unable to provide any further information.

Mickey, Donald, Pluto and the Boy Scouts

Another piece of publicity art created at the Disney Studio for the Boy Scouts of America. This illustration was created in 1935 and appeared in an issue of Boy's Life magazine, which I acquired last month.


The caption under Walt Disney's signature line reads, "This cartoon was prepared especially for the Jamboree Journal. The cancellation of that Event permits us to print it here."

It appears Mickey is referring to Donald as a "Tenderfoot," which was the first rank earned as a Boy Scout. Judging by the amount of gear he carries, I think Donald has taken the Scout motto "be prepared" to heart.

Walt Disney was also a Tenderfoot. He went on to be awarded the Silver Buffalo, which is currently on display at The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.

To read more about Walt Disney and the Scout movement and to see additional pieces of art created at the Studio for the organization, please visit an earlier post on my blog by clicking here.