Frank Wells
| Frank Wells | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
Franklin G. Wells March 4, 1932 Coronado, California, US |
| Died | April 3, 1994 (aged 62) Lamoille, Nevada, U.S. |
| Residence | Los Angeles, California |
| Alma mater | Oxford University |
| Occupation | President, The Walt Disney Company |
| Years active | 1969–1994 |
Franklin G. "Frank" Wells (March 4, 1932 – April 3, 1994) was an American businessman who served as President of the Walt Disney Company from 1984 until his death in 1994. He was also a 1953 recipient of a Rhodes Scholarship, through which he obtained his BA at Oxford University.
Wells was born in Coronado, California. Before his tenure with Disney, Wells had worked for Warner Bros. as its Vice President of West Coast in 1969, then in 1973 as President, and in 1977 as Vice Chairman until he left the company in 1982. Disney shareholders Roy E. Disney and Stanley Gold recruited Wells to become Disney's President and Chief Operating Officer (1984–1994), along with Michael Eisner as Chairman and CEO, in their bid to oust CEO/President Ron W. Miller.
Wells was an avid alpinist and came close, but did not achieve his goal of the Seven Summits, climbing the highest mountain on each of the seven continents: Kilimanjaro in Africa, Denali (Mount McKinley) in North America, Aconcagua in South America, Elbrus in Europe, Mount Everest in Asia, Mount Kosciuszko in Australia, and Vinson in Antarctica. Only Everest eluded him, as bad weather forced his party to give up one day, 3000 feet before reaching the summit. His partner in the Seven Summits attempt, Dick Bass, an entrepreneur who developed Snowbird ski resort in Utah, made it up all seven peaks, the first man to do so. At the Matterhorn Bobsleds attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, Wells' love of mountain-climbing is honored with exploration equipment emblazoned with the words "Wells Expedition," which can be noticed during the ride's downhill descent, as well as on a window on Main Street USA honoring him.
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