Dave Smith | |
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_(cropped).jpg) Smith in 2010 | |
| Born | David Rollin Smith (1940-10-13)October 13, 1940 Pasadena, California, U.S |
| Died | February 15, 2019(2019-02-15) (aged 78) Burbank, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Archivist, historian |
| Known for | Founder of the Walt Disney Archives |
| Notable work | Disney A to Z |
| Honours | Disney Legend (2007) |
David Rollin Smith (October 13, 1940 – February 15, 2019) was the founder and chiefarchivist of theWalt Disney Archives, the corporatearchive ofThe Walt Disney Company.[1][2]
Smith was born on October 13, 1940, and raised inPasadena, California—the son of librarians and educators.[3] He appreciatedDisney movies as a child and, having lived in Southern California, visitedDisneyland Park frequently—even attending the park's annual Grad Nite event when he was a high school senior.[4]
Smith met Walt Disney once at Disneyland and asked Disney for his autograph.[5] Disney politely declined (he didn't want to attract attention to himself) and told Smith to write to the studio and request an autograph.[5] Smith did as requested and received an autographed card in the mail.[5]
Smith graduated fromUC Berkeley with a BA in history and a master's degree in library science.[6] Once graduated, Smith spent time working in the manuscript department at theHuntington Library inSan Marino, California.[3] He then spent a year and a half as an intern at theLibrary of Congress inWashington, D.C., and then moved back to California and worked as a research librarian atUCLA for five years.[7] While at UCLA, he authored several bibliographies, including ones on theCSSVirginia andUSSMonitor ironclad warships as well asJack Benny.[6]
While at UCLA in 1967, with approval of Walt Disney Productions (now The Walt Disney Company), Smith began compiling a bibliography onWalt Disney, which he spent more than a year researching.[8] The company was impressed with Smith's skills and requested his services as an archival consultant in 1969.[8] Smith took a leave of absence from UCLA and his first Disney assignment was cataloguing and photographing Walt Disney's offices, which had been left relatively untouched since Disney died in 1966.[8]
Smith completed his work in December 1969 and wrote out a proposal for the establishment of a corporate archive for Disney—piggybacking off of company co-founder (and brother of Walt Disney)Roy O. Disney's desire to preserve the company's history.[8] After six months of deliberation, the proposal was accepted and Smith joined the company full time on June 22, 1970, as Disney's first archivist.[8] Over the next 40 years, Smith and the archives staff steadily grew the collection to include company files, a library of books, movie props, costumes, artwork, pieces of Disney Park attractions, and more.
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Between 1980 and 2001, Smith was the executive director of the Manuscript Society.[9] He was also a member of the Society of California Archivists.[3] In 2007, Smith received theDisney Legend Award, an honor given to people who have made significant contributions to The Walt Disney Company.[10] According to Disney fans and historians, Smith was regarded as the final authority on the topic of Disney history.[3]
Smith was a Disney fan favorite and would often make appearances, sign books, and give lectures at fan events.[10] He also traveled to the Disney resorts around the world, as well as on theDisney Cruise Line and at theD23 Expo—delivering presentations to both guests and employees on Disney history.[9]
On June 24, 2010, 40 years after he began work at Disney, Smith retired.[11] After retirement, he continued to work for Disney as a consultant.[3]
Dave Smith died on February 15, 2019, in Pasadena, California.[3] Remarking on Smith's death, Disney CEOBob Iger said, "He was the unsung hero of Disney's history who, as our first archivist, spent 40 years rescuing countless documents and artifacts from obscurity, investing endless hours restoring and preserving these priceless pieces of our legacy, and putting them in context to tell our story. Dave was a true Disney Legend, and we are indebted to him for building such an enduring, tangible connection to our past that continues to inspire our future."[3]
On January 24, 2022, Smith was given awindow onMain Street, U.S.A. inDisneyland Park posthumously for his contributions to the preservation of the park's history.[12] The window is located above the entrance of the Fortuosity Shop.
Smith wrote and co-wrote many books on Disney history, includingDisney A to Z, the official company encyclopedia, as well asTheUltimate Disney Trivia Books. He also wrote short pieces and columns in publications likeStarlog,Manuscripts,American Archivist, andThe California Historical Quarterly.[13] Smith's "Ask Dave" article was printed inDisney Magazine andDisney Channel Magazine, and continued online on theD23 website andDisney Insider when the magazine was discontinued in 2001.[3][10]
*posthumous release
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