View source for Card Walker

{{Short description|American businessman}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| image              = Card Walker at Epcot Grand Opening.jpg
| caption            = Walker in 1982
| name               = Esmond Cardon Walker
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1916|1|9}}
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|2005|11|28|1916|1|9}}
| death_place        = [[La Cañada Flintridge, California]], U.S.
| birth_place        = [[Rexburg, Idaho]], U.S.
| spouse             = {{marriage|Winnie Walker|1948}}
| children           = 3
}}
'''Esmond Cardon Walker''' (January 9, 1916 – November 28, 2005), commonly known as '''E. Cardon Walker''' or '''Card Walker''', was an American businessman who served as a top executive at [[The Walt Disney Company|Walt Disney Productions]] from the 1960s through the 1980s. He was born in [[Rexburg, Idaho|Rexburg]], [[Idaho]].

==Early life and career==
Walker moved to [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], [[California]], in 1934, where he attended [[University of California at Los Angeles|UCLA]]. After graduation, he began his career at Disney as a mailroom clerk in 1938.<ref name= "amobit">{{cite news |last=Ball |first=Ryan |url= https://www.animationmagazine.net/people/former-disney-chief-walker-dies-at-89/ |title=Former Disney Chief Walker Dies at 89 |work=[[Animation Magazine]] |date=November 30, 2005 |accessdate=April 16, 2020}}</ref> He went on to work in the camera department and later became a unit manager for short subjects.

In 1941, Walker was forced to delay his Disney career to serve in the [[United States Navy]] during [[World War II]]. He was the flight control officer (flight deck officer) aboard the aircraft carrier [[USS Bunker Hill (CV-17)]] in the Pacific Theater from 1943 to 1945, surviving eight major battles. After the war, he returned to the Disney Studio. In 1956, he became the vice president of advertising and sales before being elected to the board of directors in 1960.

==Career with Disney==
Two years after [[Walt Disney]]'s death in 1966, Walker became executive vice president and chief operating officer. When Walt's brother [[Roy O. Disney]] died in 1971, Walker became company president, serving under chairman and CEO [[Donn Tatum]]. In November 1976 Walker took over chief executive officer duties from Tatum while retaining the responsibilities of president. In 1977 Walker was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Florida Institute of Technology. Finally, in 1980 Walker became chairman of the Disney board upon Tatum's retirement. Walker himself retired as CEO three years later, in February 1983, but stayed on as chairman until August 1984 to oversee the opening of [[Tokyo Disneyland]] in [[Japan]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=Disney War |last=Stewart |first=James B. |year=2005 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |page=49}}</ref>

As a top Disney executive, Walker played a major part in the early development of [[Walt Disney World]] in [[Florida]]. He also sought to expand Disney's presence to international territory. [[EPCOT]] and Tokyo Disneyland both opened under Walker's leadership, and he presided over the dedications of both parks.  Walker approved the creation of the Disney Channel in 1982.

Walker continued to serve as a consultant to the company until 1990 and was member of the board of directors until 2000, having served 40 continuous years on the Disney board. His contributions culminated in his induction into the [[Disney Legends]] in 1993.<ref name="Broggie">{{cite book |last=Broggie |first=Michael |title=Walt Disney's Railroad Story |publisher=Carolwood Pacific LLC p. 408 |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-9758-5842-4}}</ref>

==Death==
Walker died at age 89  in [[La Cañada Flintridge, California]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|id=0907593|name=E. Cardon Walker}}
* [http://disney.go.com/disneyinsider/history/legends/about?key=Card+Walker Disney Legends]

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{{succession box | title=President of The Walt Disney Company | before=[[Donn Tatum]] | after=[[Ron W. Miller]] | years=1971–1980 }}
{{succession box | title=CEO of The Walt Disney Company | before=[[Donn Tatum]] | after=[[Ron W. Miller]] | years=1976–1983 }}
{{succession box | title=Chairman of The Walt Disney Company | before=[[Donn Tatum]] | after=[[Raymond Watson]] | years=1980–1983 }}
{{s-end}}

{{Disney Legends Awards 1990s}}
{{Disney}}
{{Tokyo Disney Resort}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Card}}
[[Category:1916 births]]
[[Category:2005 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:Disney executives|Walker, E. Cardon]]
[[Category:People from Rexburg, Idaho]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Idaho]]
[[Category:Chairmen of The Walt Disney Company]]
[[Category:People from La Cañada Flintridge, California]]

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