Ruthie Tompson

Ruthie Tompson was born on July 22, 1910 in Portland, Maine and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. She then moved with her family to Oakland, California in November 1918 at age eight. She experienced the 1918 influenza pandemic and recalls of wearing a mask amid crowds who were doing the same while celebrating the end of World War I.[3] In 1924, her parents divorced and her mother, Arlene, remarried artist John Roberts. The family relocated to Los Angeles and their house was in the same block as the house of Robert Disney, uncle of Walt Disney. This is where Roy and Walt Disney lived when they first came to Los Angeles.[4]

As she stated in an interview, Tompson first met the Disneys when she visited her neighbor Robert's new baby. She recalls sitting on an apple box until her parents said they'll be going home for dinner.[4][3] The location of The Walt Disney Company, then known as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, was not far from her home – she passed it on her way to grammar school. She was invited into the office after many times of standing outside and watching them work through the window. She visited the office often and ended up appearing in the Alice Comedies.[4][5][3]

At the age of 18, Tompson started working at Dubrock's Riding Academy, where Roy and Walt Disney often played polo.[6] Walt Disney remembered Tompson from when she was young and offered her a job as an Inker.[6] After training as an Inker, Tompson was transferred to the Paint Department,[7][3] where she helped with Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.[4] After working on several other Disney films, Tompson was promoted to Final Checker position where she reviewed animation cels before they were photographed onto film. Tompson continued working for Disney and was promoted to Animation Checker during WWII, where she worked on training and education films, for the U.S Armed Forces, starring Disney characters like Mickey, Donald Duck and Goofy.[7] By 1948, Tompson was working in the Camera Department, developing camera moves and mechanics to shoot animation.[8] She became one of the first three women admitted into the International Photographers Union, Local 659 of the IATSE.[2] Tompson continued to work through the studio ranks, eventually becoming the supervisor of the Screen Planning Department.[7]

Tompson retired in 1975 after working for The Walt Disney Company for almost 40 years.[2][9] In retirement, she works for an in-house television channel at the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF) Country House where she lives.[6][10] Tompson is the oldest member of Women in Animation.[11][12] In 2000, Tompson was honored by the Disney Legends program and received the Disney Legends Award for her work at the Walt Disney Studios.[13] In 2017, Tompson was honored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for her contributions to the animation industry. In July 2020, Tompson became a supercentenarian and Whoopi Goldberg wished her a happy birthday.[14][15]