Admiral Joe Fowler

Joesph William "Joe" Fowler was an American rear admiral of the United States Navy, who after his retirement had an important role in overseeing the construction of Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
==Early life and career==
Joe Fowler attended the United States Naval Academy and later earned a master's degree from M.I.T. in Naval Architecture. He served in both World Wars. He retired from the Navy in 1948 though he was recalled briefly during the Korean War. In 1952 he was appointed by President Truman to reduce wasteful military spending.
===Disney career===
In 1954, Walt Disney was looking for a naval expert to help with the building of the paddle steamer Mark Twain, for the then under-construction Disneyland. He found the retired admiral supervising the construction of tract homes in the San Francisco region. Fowler was hired as construction boss for the whole Disneyland project. After Disneyland was completed, Fowler stayed on as General Manager of the park for its first 10 years, and assisted with the construction of Walt Disney World. He retired from The Walt Disney Company in 1978, though he continued on as a consultant.
The dock for the two large ships in Disneyland's Rivers of America, located across from The Haunted Mansion is named Fowler's Harbor. In 1989, one of the locations is titled as Fowler's Cellar in the Splash Mountain attraction in Disneyland. In 1999, one of the ferries that crosses the Seven Seas Lagoon taking guests from the Ticket and Transportation Center to the Magic Kingdom was renamed Admiral Joe Fowler in his honor; it was originally known as the Magic Kingdom I.
"At one point during the Florida project, Joe held three posts, simultaneously: senior vice president, engineering and construction, for Walt Disney Productions; chairman of the board of WED Enterprises, now known as Walt Disney Imagineering; and director of construction for Disney’s Buena Vista Construction Company."
In 1990, Fowler was inducted with Richard Irvine, The Sherman Brothers, Herbert Ryman, Roger Broggie, and John Hench as a Disney Legend.
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Category:Males
Category:1800s births
Category:1990s deaths
Category:Deceased
Category:People from Maine
Category:American people
Category:Soldiers
Category:Admirals
Category:Imagineers
Category:Disney people
Category:Disney Legends
Category:The Haunted Mansion
Category:Splash Mountain
Category:Walt Disney World Resort
Category:Disneyland
Category:Walt Disney Imagineering
Category:Walt Disney Company executives