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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ed Catmull, the president of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios since 2006, is retiring next year. The Walt Disney Company says Tuesday that the 73-year-old Pixar co-founder will remain in an advisory role through July 2019.
Robert Iger, Disney's chairman and CEO, said in a statement that Catmull's impact on the entertainment industry is immeasurable.
Catmull was a pioneer in computer animation and technology in film. George Lucas hired him in 1979 to head Lucasfilm's computer division. Catmull in 1986 co-founded Pixar with Steve Jobs and John Lasseter. He's overseen films at Disney from "Frozen" to "Up" and has been recognized multiple times by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for advances in technology and computer graphics.
Catmull was born in West Virginia but grew up in Utah. His father was the principal of Granite High School before becoming principal of Taylorsville High School when that school opened, the Deseret News reported.
Catmull spent eight years studying physics and computer science at the University of Utah. During his master's program at the U., Catmull became involved with the budding computer graphics industry.
Catmull earned B.S. degrees in computer science and physics and a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Utah. In 2005, the university presented him with an Honorary Doctoral Degree in Engineering, according to the Walt Disney Studios website.
Catmull remained close to his alma mater. "The U. is, I think, unique," Catmull said in 2013.
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Contributing: Linda Williams, KSL.com
