On this day in 1961, Disney officially paid off the last of the multimillion-dollar loans the company had accumulated during its formative decades. Starting in the 1930s, Walt Disney appealed to Bank of America for the high-risk financial backing he needed to finish ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.’ Again in the 1950s, Walt turned to the bank when the building of Disneyland required sizable credit. In both cases, bank executives believed in Walt’s vision, making the Disney we know today possible! [65 years ago in 2026]
