About Rollin Hamilton
Lived 1898 – 1951 (aged 52). Rollin Hamilton was an American animator, screenwriter and film director.
Rollin "Ham" Clare Hamilton (October 28, 1898 – June 3, 1951) was an American animator. He was Walt Disney's first hire, and from 1924 to 1928, he worked as an animator for the Alice Comedies and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit shorts. In 1928, Hamilton and several other animators left the Walt Disney Studio to work at Winkler Pictures' new animation studio with the help of Charles Mintz. A year later, Hamilton briefly transferred to Walter Lantz's new studio before he helped fellow animators Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising establish their own animation studio. He was one of the primary animators for the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. From 1929 to 1934, he animated the Bosko character in the Harman-Ising studio.
He was one of the few animators who remained with Leon Schlesinger after Harman and Ising left in 1933. In Schlesinger's studio, he animated Buddy, Beans the Cat, and Porky Pig. He then worked as a freelance animator until 1940.
Hamilton died in 1951 of a heart attack.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Rollin Hamilton's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Rollin Hamilton's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Rollin Hamilton?
American animator (1898–1951)
When was Rollin Hamilton born?
Rollin Hamilton was born on 28 October 1898 in South Dakota.
When did Rollin Hamilton die?
Rollin Hamilton died on 3 June 1951 in Los Angeles.
What was Rollin Hamilton's occupation?
Rollin Hamilton was an animator, screenwriter and film director.
What nationality was Rollin Hamilton?
Rollin Hamilton was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Rollin Hamilton. https://biography.guide/rollin-hamilton/
MLA: "Rollin Hamilton." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/rollin-hamilton/.
Chicago: "Rollin Hamilton." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/rollin-hamilton/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:26 UTC