Walt Disney Archives founder Dave Smith passed away in Burbank, California, on 15 February 2019, at 78.
Dave dedicated his four-decade career at The Walt Disney Company to preserving Disney’s precious treasures from film, television, theme parks, and beyond. Named a Disney Legend in 2007, Dave was beloved by fans around the world for his wide knowledge of the Company’s rich history, which he shared in books and through his popular magazine column “Ask Dave.”
“I’m deeply saddened to learn of Dave Smith’s passing,” said The Walt Disney Company chairman and chief executive officer Bob Iger. “He was the unsung hero of Disney’s history who, as our first archivist, spent 40 years rescuing countless documents and artifacts from obscurity, investing endless hours restoring and preserving these priceless pieces of our legacy, and putting them in context to tell our story. Dave was a true Disney Legend, and we are indebted to him for building such an enduring, tangible connection to our past that continues to inspire our future.”
Dave was hired in 1970 by Walt’s brother—and The Walt Disney Company co-founder—Roy O. Disney, and his first responsibility was cataloging every item inside Walt’s office suite, which had been left untouched after Walt’s passing four years prior. Thanks to Dave’s detailed notes and records, the Archives was able to restore the suite in 2015, and today Disney employees are able to visit and draw inspiration from this remarkable space.
During his time as Disney’s chief archivist, Dave grew the Archives from a one-person department to a model among corporate archives. He served from 1980 to 2001 as executive director of the Manuscript Society, an international association of collectors, dealers, librarians, archivists, and others interested in manuscript material.
Dave wrote extensively about Disney history, with regular columns in Disney fan publications and websites, as well as authoring, co-authoring, and editing numerous articles and books on Disney history, including the official Disney encyclopedia Disney A to Z, Disney: The First 100 Years, The Quotable Walt Disney, Disney Trivia from the Vault, and The Ultimate Disney Trivia Books 1, 2, 3, and 4.
In October 2007, Dave was honored with the prestigious Disney Legend award. A resident of Burbank, California, Dave retired in 2010 after his fortieth anniversary with The Walt Disney Company and continued working for the next nine years as a consultant for the company, with the title of Chief Archivist Emeritus.