AOA’s Post

This week, we celebrate Walt Disney Imagineering’s birthday by answering an enduring question: Where did the universally worn brown WDI hard hat come from? Our own Tom and Mike spoke with mentors Jack Blitch, retired WDI Project Management Executive Vice President who led iconic Disney projects for nearly 30 years, and Jerre Kirk, WDI Construction Management Executive who oversaw four Disney parks and numerous attractions worldwide. Together, they shared the origin story of the brown WDI hard hat. Mike O.: What’s the origin of the brown WDI hard hat tradition? They were around when I started in the mid-90s, including some hand-painted ones. Jack: A building specialties vendor on the Wonders of Life project made the first one as a gift for [former Walt Disney Imagineering executive] Allen Moyer. It was hand-painted on a brown fiberglass ironworker’s hard hat and became our style. I received the second ever made and still have it. Soon, every Imagineer on the Wonders of Life project at EPCOT had one. The idea spread to other projects, overwhelming the painter. We found a vendor at Walt Disney World Central Shops who switched to stencils to keep up with demand. Tom: That was Gary Strachan, the WDW Central Shops artist. I worked with him from the day I was hired. He was an old-school sign painter and a great guy. Whenever there was a need for classic techniques like gold leafing, everyone called Gary. The Epcot France Ice Cream shop was the last thing he painted before he passed away in his 60s. I bet he made hundreds—maybe more—of the brown hard hats. Mine had a Sorcerer Mickey and Imagineer decal, but my name was hand-painted by Gary. As WDI grew, Jack’s tradition expanded, and they eventually went full decal to keep up. Jack: Yes, it was Gary! After he passed, his family continued the work. Allen’s first hard hat had five stars; mine had four. In Florida, these hard hats symbolized authority and were universally respected by contractors. I maintained the tradition for 28 years, and it grew to a worldwide standard for Walt Disney Imagineering. Jerre: Jack is right. We took this to Hong Kong and Shanghai. In Hong Kong, 240 Imagineers had custom hard hats. In Shanghai, 550. Each featured names in Chinese and English, Sorcerer Mickey on the side, and “Imagineer” on the back. They truly symbolized what it meant to be an Imagineer. Now you know the story behind the iconic brown WDI hard hats. Thanks to Jack Blitch, Jerre Kirk, (and Mike Lentz, too) for sharing this incredible legacy. And thank you, Jack, for turning Disney art on a hard hat into a lasting tradition. From all of us at AOA, Happy 72nd Birthday to Walt Disney Imagineering! If you have one, share your WDI hard hat in the comments! #DreamCreateBuild #InsideAOA #WaltDisneyImagineering #DisneyHistory Walt Disney World The Walt Disney Company #Icon #SafetyFirst