The Frank Thomas papers span the years 1938 - 2004 (bulk 1970-2004) and encompass 23.7 linear feet. The collection consists of scripts, notes, correspondence and promotional material which documents Thomas’ career as a Disney animator and author. Among the production files are materials on FANTASIA (1940), LADY AND THE TRAMP (1955), THE BLACK CAULDRON (1985), THE LITTLE MERMAID (1989), THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER (1990), and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991). There are extensive files on the documentary about Thomas, FRANK AND OLLIE (1995), including script material, breakdowns, schedules, and correspondence. Among the subject files are notes and drafts for Thomas’ books on animation, including “The Disney Villain,” “The Jungle Book,” “Too Funny For Words,” and “The Illusion of Life.” There are also a number of files related to his lectures on animation and the development of his website “frankanollie.com.”

Frank Thomas was born in 1912 and raised in Fresno, California. After studying at Stanford University, he went on to study at the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles. In 1934 he went to work as an animator at Walt Disney Studios, where he would work on nearly twenty animated features until his retirement in 1978. This included the films PINOCCHIO (1940), PETER PAN (1953), SLEEPING BEAUTY (1959), CINDERELLA (1950), ONE HUNDRED AND ONE DALMATIANS (1961) and THE JUNGLE BOOK (1967). He also wrote several books on animation and was the subject of a documentary, FRANK AND OLLIE (1995), about his longtime friendship with fellow animator, Ollie Johnston. He passed away in 2004 in La Cañada Flintridge, California.