Roy Oliver Disney is born in Chicago, Illinois. The middle of 5 children, he along with his younger brother Walt started what is today The Walt Disney Company. Roy guided the business side of the Disney company leaving his brother, Walt, free to produce and create. Roy served as president of Walt Disney Productions from 1945 to 1968 and chairman of the board from 1964 until his death in 1971. A modest man, it was Roy's idea to change the name of the Florida park from simply Disney World to Walt Disney World (after the death of his brother in 1966). Married to Edna Francis in 1925, Roy was the father of Roy E. Disney. Today there is a statue of Roy O. Disney seated on a park bench beside Minnie Mouse at the Town Square section of Main Street, U.S.A., at the Magic Kingdom theme park in Florida, and outside the Team Disney building at Disney's corporate headquarters in Burbank, California.
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