DS, signed “Walter E. Disney” and "Walt Disney," two pages, 8.5 x 11, November 7, 1953. Minutes of a special meeting of the board of directors of Walt Disney Incorporated, in part: "The President…stated that, in order to prevent confusion of the corporation's name with the name of Walt Disney Productions, the corporation's name should be changed. Whereupon, on motion duly made, seconded, and unanimously carried, it was Resolved that…The name of this corporation shall be WED Enterprises, Inc." Signed at the conclusion in fountain pen by Disney and countersigned by Nathan Winecoff as secretary. The second page is a waiver for the meeting, signed at the conclusion by the board members in attendance: Walt Disney, Lloyd Wright, William H. D. Cottrell, Nathan Winecoff, and Richard F. Irvine. In fine condition.
Walt Disney formed Walt Disney, Inc. on December 16, 1952, in order to fund and oversee the development of Disneyland; by this document, he changed the firm's name to WED Enterprises, using his initials rather than his full name to avoid confusion with his production company. He provided the startup money for the park from his own personal fortune, funneled through WED Enterprises. Since it was a separate entity from the Walt Disney Company, the development of the park could be conducted in secret and without disclosure to shareholders. A remarkable document that helped lay the foundation for Disneyland.
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