Frank Wells

Wells was born in Coronado, California and traced his ancestry back to the Mayflower. He attended Pomona College, which he left as Phi Beta Kappa in 1953. Wells was a recipient of a Rhodes Scholarship, through which he obtained a BA at Oxford University. Wells was unique among the management troika in that he had the highest academic achievement. Although the number-two executive at Disney, Wells reported to the board of directors and not to Eisner. ==Seven Summits==

Wells was an avid alpinist and came close to achieving his goal of climbing the Seven Summits, the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. Only Everest eluded him, as bad weather had forced his party to descend when just 3,000 feet from the summit. His partner in the Seven Summits attempt, Dick Bass, an entrepreneur who developed the Snowbird ski resort in Utah, later made it up all seven peaks, the first man to do so. At the Matterhorn Bobsleds attraction at Disneyland, Wells' love of mountain climbing is honored with exploration equipment emblazoned with the words "Wells Expedition," which can be seen during the ride's downhill descent, as well as on a window on Main Street USA honoring him. ==Death==

Wells died in a helicopter crash on April 3, 1994 while returning from a heliskiing trip in Nevada's Ruby Mountains. Pilot Dave Walton and rock climber Beverly Johnson were also killed in the crash. He was a good friend of Clint Eastwood, who had been skiing with Wells that weekend. Eastwood left in his own helicopter just an hour before Wells' departure. Wells was buried at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery. At the funeral, Eastwood sang a tribute of The Beatles' "Hey Jude", which Wells liked to sing on the slopes. The Lion King, which came out the summer after Wells' death, includes a dedication right before the Walt Disney Pictures logo appears (though the 2003 Platinum Edition, the 2011 Diamond Edition and the 2017 Signature Edition have the dedication at the end of the credits). The building housing the Walt Disney Archives at Walt Disney Studios was also named in Wells' honor. ==References==