This morning, we learned that our friend, Jack Lindquist, died. And by “our”, I don’t mean just those of us who were lucky enough to have been able to meet him, talk with him, and hear his wonderful stories (and say thank you!), but also to anyone who attended a Grad Night, who was a member of the Magic Kingdom Club, who collected Disney Dollars, or who just plain old loved Disneyland. Jack was a longtime Disneyland fan and Cast Member, who worked with Walt and the other framers of the park from the very beginning (first with an outside contractor – but not for long, once he got a look at what was to come!)
MiceChatters have a special affinity for Jack as he appeared at a number of MiceChat events over the years and at the MiceChat booth for the D23 Expo. Jack told the best stories of Disneyland’s early days. Sometimes he even made us blush with his candid banter. And he was beloved by all us for being open, honest, warm and legendary in every sense of the word.
Bob Iger on Jack:
“Jack Lindquist was a Disney original in every sense. He started his career as Disneyland’s first advertising manager, and later served as the park’s first president, a role he always referred to as ‘the best job in the world.’ He made sure Disneyland was the Happiest Place on Earth for each guest who walked through the gates, setting the standard for every leader that followed. Those of us who had the good fortune to know Jack will always remember the kindness, humility and dedication that made him such an important part of this company and a true Disney Legend.”
Jack told his story to MiceAge’s Sue Kruse in a two part special feature in 2010. It remains the best version of Jack’s story out there. Here’s an excerpt, but I highly encourage you to read both parts of the Jack Lindquist article in their entirety (links below):
During Jack Lindquist’s long career with Disney he came up with a lot of advertising schemes. Some worked (Gift Giver Extraordinaire — drew in a record 12.5 million people to Disneyland in 1985), some didn’t (the Disney Classic — a terrific idea that encompassed more than just football in the college bowl games), and some never even got off the ground. But one thing’s for sure, Jack was never afraid to try something different and he was always inventive. As he said to me, “You gotta be willing to stick out your neck.”
One of his more inventive publicity plans involved Mickey Mouse, corn, and airplanes.
It was 1988 and Jack was looking for some way to celebrate Mickey Mouse’s 60th birthday. What he came up with turned out to be pure genius. On a flight home from Orlando, Jack looked out the window of the plane, down onto the patches of green, and got the spark for an idea to plant a cornfield in the shape Mickey’s head. He thought it was a great idea that would get a lot of publicity if from 30,000 feet up you’d look out the window of your plane and instead of seeing squares of green, you’d see Mickey Mouse.
Jack with the Mouse he was in service to.But how to go about achieving this, that was the problem. After figuring out the flight paths that got the most traffic, it was decided Iowa was the place for a corny Mickey. Jack headed out to the Iowa State University School of Agriculture to hopefully get their help with Cornfield Mickey and to find out if his plan was even feasible. In what Jack describes as “good old Disney luck” it just so happened that the University was about to celebrate their 100th anniversary and they were more than glad to help Disney find a way to plant the Mickey-shaped cornfield.
The University found a town with a farmer who was willing to plant his crops in the Mickey shape. The corn was sown and then they waited. Six and a half million corn plants, 300 acres of oats, all in the shape of Mickey Mouse’s head and at the mercy of the weather, which at first, looked like it wasn’t going to come through, a drought had hit Iowa. But then, as it so often has a way of doing, that good old Disney Magic took over. The rain fell and the crops started to grow. Cornfield Mickey made his appearance in the world.
Then, in what Jack describes as a kind of “if you build it they will come” moment, people started arriving from all over to get a look at Cornfield Mickey. Local biplanes began offering sightseeing flights, Mickey was shown on Good Morning America and The Today Show. CNN talked about it. Cornfield Mickey was such a hit that even commercial airline pilots flying overhead announced to their passengers to look out the window for a look-see at Cornfield Mickey. Jack estimates that what he calls “just a fun idea” easily garnered $10 million dollars in publicity for the Disney Company.
See what I mean about inventive? I can’t imagine someone coming up with an idea like that today.
Please take a moment to read Sue Kruse’s two part story about Jack Lindquest:
Jack was recently interviewed by Keith Mahne on the MicePod:
And, of course, the very best way to honor Jack is to read his book, In Service To The Mouse. It’s an honest account of Jack’s days at Disneyland. He was so concerned about its integrity that he didn’t even ask Disney for photos out of fear that they might want to edit his stories. What you read is what he wanted you to know. It’s remarkable, just like Jack.
Our heartfelt sympathies to Jack’s family, friends and fans. He’s going to be deeply missed. But I can guarantee you that he’ll never be forgotten.
Please join us in a celebration of Jack Lindquist, Disneylander extraordinaire. We’d love to hear your thoughts, stories, remembrances, and see your photos.
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