Sharpsteen, Ben (1895-1980) Animator/director; joined Disney in 1929 and left in 1959. He animated on shorts until 1934 when he became a director for the next four years. He was a sequence director on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, supervising co-director on Pinocchio, supervising director on Dumbo, production supervisor on Fantasia, Fun and Fancy Free, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and several of the True-Life Adventures, and was considered one of Walt’s right-hand men. He directed Water Birds and served as associate producer or producer on several other of the nature and People and Places films, and television shows. He received an Oscar for The Ama Girls. He was named a Disney Legend in 1998.
