Document details

Disney’s Story Research was established on February 15, 1937, under the guidance of John Clarke Rose.4 Rose was born in Illinois on November 7, 1905. While at San Diego High School, he was inspired to become an artist by his art teacher, Jessie Tannen. He then became the first scholarship student at Chouinard Art School in 1924 and studied at the Grand Central School of Art in New York under Pruett Carter. He was also an alumnus from Dartmouth, whose friends included Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel). By 1936 he had been convinced to join Disney by Phil Dike and Don Graham, two of his connections from New York who were now working for Walt.5 He resigned from Disney on August 28, 1942. He was replaced as head of the Story Research Department by Ralph Parker, who joined on August 31, 1942, and left on February 4, 1944. John Rose passed away in San Diego on December 22, 1983.

Milt Gray: Let’s start with your discovery of the Roll-a-Book for Dumbo, and how Dumbo got started.

John Rose: It relates, really, to my function of having not only story responsibilities, but the by-products, the comic strips, etc., working very closely with that beloved Kay Kamen—quite a character, who figured prominently in the early days. Kay had, I think, first been approached in New York by these people who were going to merchandise this new toy, a cardboard book-shaped business with this little wheel that wound up what was virtually like toilet paper, with the story unfolding in a frame-di- mensioned opening. […]