At a dinner celebration on June 8, the ArtCenter College of Design will honor the world’s only living original Disneyland Imagineer, Bob Gurr (BS 52 Transportation Design), with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr. Gurr is being recognized for his Transcendent impact to our society on multiple fronts.
For nearly 40 years, Bob Gurr has “moved” nearly every Disney theme park guest worldwide aboard one of the over 100 attractions he had a hand in designing. Bob is a true legend who has shaped the theme park experience and brought joy to people of all ages. Bob attended ArtCenter to study industrial design and was hired by the Ford Motor Company upon graduation. Bob’s immense imagination and creativity soon attracted the attention of none other than Walt Disney, who recruited him to work on constructions that went on to define Disneyland.
For nearly five decades Bob worked his magic on other iconic vehicles such as the Autopia cars, the Monorail, the Matterhorn Bobsleds and so much more. Bob also made contributions to Disney’s most advanced 1964 Animatronics figure – Abraham Lincoln. Among his other accomplishments, Bob engineered the giant King Kong featured in the popular 1986 Kongfrontation attraction at Universal Studios, Hollywood. Bob also created the UFO that soared over the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, The Godzilla move creature, and Treasure Island’s pirate show on the Las Vegas Strip.
Glad that Bob Gurr is being honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award?