Cottrell, Bill

Cottrell, Bill (1906-1995) President of Retlaw Enterprises, the Walt Disney family corporation from 1964 until his retirement in 1982. He joined Disney in 1929 as a cameraman, then worked as a cutter and animation director before moving into the story department. He was a sequence director on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and worked on story on Pinocchio, Saludos Amigos, Victory Through Air Power, The Three Caballeros, Melody Time, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan. Bill went on the 1941 Disney trip to South America. In 1952, he became vice president and later president of WED Enterprises, where he helped to develop the Zorro television series and assisted Walt Disney in the planning and construction of Disneyland. He was the first person to receive a 50-year Disney service award, and was named a Disney Legend in 1994.