Wathel Rogers

Wathel Lawson Rogers was an American sculptor, model maker, and animator for Disney, who was among many Imagineers responsible for many of the rides and attractions of Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resort, such as The Enchanted Tiki Room and The Hall of Presidents.
Born on June 29, 1919, in Stratton, Colorado to Everett Samuel Rogers (1893–1986) and Mary Alice Hutton (1894–1954) and showed an interest in sculpting as a boy, making his own toys out of household items and scrap material. In 1937, he entered Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles and joined Disney in 1939. He worked as an assistant animator before becoming a full-time animator on films, such as Pinocchio and Bambi. Shortly after Bambi's release, Rogers enlisted in the Marine Corps and served as a staff sergeant during World War II.
After the war, he returned to Disney's Animation Department, where he contributed features in development, such as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. However, by 1951, Walt Disney noticed his sculpting talents and soon assigned him to Project Little Man with Roger Broggie where they experimented with prototypes for Audio-Animatronics® technology which earned Rogers the nickname "Mr. Audio-Animatronics". Using Buddy Ebsen as model, the duo studied his song and dance movements to mimic real-life movements for their new creation. Rogers would also create props and miniatures for live-action projects, such as Darby O'Gill and the Little People, The Absent-Minded Professor, Mickey Mouse Club, Zorro, and episodes from the Disney anthology show, such as "Mars and Beyond" and "Man and the Moon".
In 1954, Rogers, along with Harriet Burns and Fred Joerger, were tasked with modeling and sculpting the designs for Disneyland's attractions along with other productions. This became known as the WED Model Shop. By the 1960s, Rogers and the other Imagineers continued to pioneer new technology for park attractions which led to the development of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, and The American Adventure at Epcot Center, where he helped create the first "walking" Audio-Animatronics® figure, Benjamin Franklin.
In 1987, Wathel Rogers retired from company and was named a Disney Legend in 1995. Rogers died at his Arizona home in 2000.
==Filmography==
Year 	Film 	Position
1940 	Pinocchio 	Animator
1942 	Bambi 	Animator
1950 	Cinderella 	Animator
1951 	Alice in Wonderland 	Animator
1953 	Peter Pan 	Animator
1955-1959	Mickey Mouse Club 	Props and design
1955 	Lady and the Tramp 	Animator
1957-1959	Zorro 	Props and design
1959 	Sleeping Beauty 	Animator
1959 	Darby O'Gill and the Little People	Props and design
1961 	The Absent-Minded Professor 	Props and design
==Gallery==
Harriet burns with Fred Joerger and Wathel Rogers.jpg|Rogers with original WED group, Harriet Burns and Fred Joerger.
Bill justice wathel rogers country bear jamboree.jpg|Rogers with Bill Justice operating an animatronic from Country Bear Jamboree.
Wathel rogers 2.jpg
Wathel rogers 3.png|Rogers demonstrating how they record and program the animatronics movements.
WEDCrew.0.jpg|A 1965 group photograph of Disney artists in the WED parking lot in Glendale, California, from left to right: Herbert Ryman, Ken O'Brien, Collin Campbell, Marc Davis, Al Bertino, Wathel Rogers, Mary Blair, T. Hee, Blaine Gibson, Xavier Atencio, Claude Coats, and Yale Gracey.
==External links==
*Wathel Rogers - d23
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*Family Search - Wathel Rogers
Category:Males
Category:1910s births
Category:2000s deaths
Category:Deceased
Category:People from Colorado
Category:American people
Category:Artists
Category:Animators
Category:Imagineers
Category:Disney Legends
Category:Mickey Mouse Club
Category:Pinocchio
Category:Bambi
Category:Cinderella
Category:Alice in Wonderland
Category:Peter Pan
Category:Lady and the Tramp
Category:Sleeping Beauty
Category:Darby O'Gill and the Little People
Category:The Absent-Minded Professor
Category:Mickey Mouse Club
Category:Zorro
Category:Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
Category:Walt Disney Animation Studios
Category:Enchanted Tiki Room
Category:Pirates of the Caribbean
Category:Country Bear Jamboree
Category:Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
Category:The Hall of Presidents
Category:Jungle Cruise
Category:The American Adventure
Category:Disneyland
Category:Walt Disney World Resort