Frank Wells facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frank Wells
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| President of The Walt Disney Company | |
| In office 1984–1994 |
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| Preceded by | Ron W. Miller |
| Succeeded by | Michael Ovitz |
| COO of The Walt Disney Company | |
| In office 1984–1994 |
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| Preceded by | Ron W. Miller |
| Succeeded by | Sanford Litvack |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Franklin G. Wells
March 4, 1932 Coronado, California, U.S. |
| Died | April 3, 1994 (aged 62) Lamoille, Nevada, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Helicopter crash |
| Alma mater | Pomona College University of Oxford Stanford Law School (LLB) |
| Occupation | President, The Walt Disney Company |
Franklin G. Wells (born March 4, 1932 – died April 3, 1994) was an important American businessman. He was the president of The Walt Disney Company for ten years, from 1984 until he passed away in 1994.
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Life and Career of Frank Wells
Frank Wells was born in Coronado, California. He went to Pomona College and graduated with high honors in 1953. He also received a special scholarship called a Rhodes Scholarship. This allowed him to study at Oxford University in England.
After his studies, Wells served in the army for two years. He was an infantry first lieutenant. Later, he graduated from Stanford Law School and became a lawyer.
Working at Warner Bros.
Before joining Disney, Frank Wells worked at Warner Bros.. He started there in 1969 as a vice president. In 1973, he became the president of Warner Bros. He then served as vice chairman until he left the company in 1982.
Joining The Walt Disney Company
In 1984, the leaders at Disney were looking for new management. They chose Frank Wells to become the president and chief operating officer (COO) of The Walt Disney Company. He worked closely with Michael Eisner, who became the chairman and CEO, and Jeffrey Katzenberg. Wells was known for his strong academic background. He helped lead Disney during an important time for the company.
Frank Wells and the Seven Summits
Frank Wells loved mountain climbing. He had a big goal: to climb the Seven Summits. These are the highest mountains on each of the seven continents.
He successfully climbed six of them:
- Kilimanjaro in Africa
- Denali (Mount McKinley) in North America
- Aconcagua in South America
- Elbrus in Europe
- Mount Kosciuszko in Australia
- Vinson in Antarctica
Only Mount Everest in Asia was left. He almost made it to the top, but bad weather forced his team to turn back. They were only 3,000 feet from the very top.
His climbing partner, Richard Bass, later became the first person to climb all Seven Summits. At the Matterhorn Bobsleds ride in Disneyland, there is a special tribute to Wells' love for climbing. You can see exploration equipment with "Wells Expedition" written on it. There is also a window on Main Street USA honoring him.
Death of Frank Wells
Frank Wells died in a helicopter accident on April 3, 1994. He was returning from a heliskiing trip in the Ruby Mountains in Nevada. The accident happened because of bad weather conditions. Snow got into the helicopter's engine, causing it to lose power.
Wells was buried at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery. After his death, the movie The Lion King, which came out that summer, included a special dedication to him. Also, the building that holds the Walt Disney Archives at Walt Disney Studios was named in his honor.
