Ralph Kent

Ralph Kent (January 28, 1939 – September 10, 2007) was an American artist and Imagineer. His most famous work was designing the first limited-edition Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse watch for adults. The design was so popular amongst Disney's executive team that Kent advised Disney artists on character models for decades to follow. Kent is said to have designed marketing materials for many Disneyland attractions, including Jungle Cruise, Enchanted Tiki Room, and It's a Small World. He was named a Disney Legend in 2004.

Biography Early life Growing up in New York during the 1940s and 1950s, Kent became enamored with Walt Disney Productions' animated motion pictures. By age 10, he adorned his family's basement walls with a massive mural of Disney characters. Focused on one day working for Disney, Kent attended the University of Buffalo Albright Art School. In 1960, Kent enlisted in the U.S. Army, shortly taking on an artistic role by illustrating training aids and films for the military.

1960s In 1963, following his discharge from the army, Kent was hired by Disney to be a marketing production for Disneyland Park. He was quickly put in charge of developing marketing materials for many park attractions, including Enchanted Tiki Room, The Jungle Cruise, and more.

The following year saw Kent involved with the Disney team responsible for creating attractions for the 1964 New York World's Fair. He developed training materials for several attractions, including It's a Small World.

By 1965, Kent had become a trusted artist of Walt Disney and was responsible for designing the first limited-edition Mickey Mouse watch for adults. Walt gifted 25 of these watches to his top executives and the Mickey Mouse adult watch designs became a constant in Disney merchandising with over 100 designs manufactured each year since.

When Walt Disney became one of the original investors in the family-oriented entertainment business in Denver, Colorado, known as Celebrity Sports Center, Kent served as art director for the complex.

1970s and beyond Following the Disney company's expansion to Florida in 1971, Kent transitioned to designing souvenirs for Walt Disney World, including license plates and bumper stickers. In 1979, Kent was promoted to director of Walt Disney Imagineering East, in a role that would have him overseeing cast members in Florida who would provide support for soon to be opened Tokyo Disneyland park and EPCOT Center.

The 1990s saw another transition for Kent as he joined the Disney Design Group as a corporate trainer. Known as "The Keeper of the Mouse," Kent trained other Disney artists to draw the Mickey Mouse design uniformly, and also helped determine which merchandise would carry the Mickey image. Besides being a mentor for new aspiring artists, Kent taught park guests at the Disney Institute and created a thorough collection of Disney character reference model sheets.

Kent officially retired from The Walt Disney Company in May 2004, yet continued to consult on special projects afterwards.

Awards and honors In a 2004 ceremony at the Disney Studios in Burbank, CA, Kent was inducted as a Disney Legend. Kent also was honored with a window bearing his name on Main Street, U.S.A. of the Magic Kingdom park at Walt Disney World.