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C. V. Wood
Cornelius Vanderbilt Wood Jr. (December 17, 1920 – March 14, 1992) was an American developer of theme parks and planned communities. He was the chief developer of Disneyland and then, through his own company, Marco Engineering, he developed other parks in several locations across the country. These theme parks included Freedomland U.S.A. in New York City, Pleasure Island in Wakefield, Massachusetts and Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas.
Cornelius Vanderbilt Wood was born in Waynoka, Oklahoma. Throughout his early life, Wood was referred to as Junior and “Woodsy.” Later on, friends and business colleagues called him “C.V. Wood” or “C.V.” or “Woody.”[citation needed] The family moved to Amarillo, Texas following Wood’s father's promotion within the Santa Fe Railway. After high school, Wood attended Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene and became a champion trick roper for the school’s Cowboy Marching Band. Wood’s employment began in 1941 and included nine years at Convair (formed in 1943 by the merger of Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee Aircraft), an American aircraft manufacturing company that later expanded into rockets and spacecraft. He became a chief industrial engineer and contributed to innovations in the manufacture of aircraft, despite having no degree in engineering. His first supervisor was Fred V. Schumacher, who would reunite with Wood on later projects.
Wood was employed by the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) during the early 1950s when he first met Walt Disney. Wood was tapped to lead the team that had been assembled to crunch the numbers and find a location for the park that would become Disneyland. SRI, located in Menlo Park, California, is a nonprofit research and development organization founded by the trustees of Stanford University. The firm later separated from the university in 1970.
Wood was hired away from the Stanford Research Institute during 1954 by the Disney brothers, Walt and Roy, to become vice president and general manager of the Disneyland project. He was Disneyland's first employee. At 34 years old, Wood tapped into the brothers' ideas to help bring Disneyland to life. Wood worked closely with the Disney brothers and other employees. He also hired his old Texas friends and others he had known at Convair and at the Stanford Research Institute. He also employed set designers, artists, special effects technicians and other talent. Wood offered many ideas for the new entertainment attraction and he exhibited unchecked energy to build it.[unbalanced opinion?]
Wood often said that Walt Disney initially treated him as a son. But, over time, the relationship became strained. The Disneys sometimes were uncomfortable around Wood or, more specifically, with some of his sales and other tactics that he employed to build Disneyland. Walt Disney also raised a number of issues that involved Wood, including that the man he hired was receiving too much credit for Disneyland.
Within a year after Disneyland opened, Wood and the Disneys parted ways. Some people who were there at the time said Walt Disney fired Wood. Others said Roy Disney cut the ties. Even others said Wood realized the relationship had soured and left the company. One longtime employee, Bob Gurr, who was loyal to the Disneys, said that Wood was a con man. Another employee, Van Arsdale France, believed that the relationship would not survive, because Wood and Walt Disney both were fiercely independent.
Soon after the split, Wood's role in the creation of Disneyland was omitted from all company records and histories. Over the years, the Walt Disney Company has honored various executives instrumental in the construction of Disneyland with window signs designating them as the proprietors of fictional businesses along Main Street, U.S.A., with one exception: "There is no window for C. V. Wood."
After leaving Disneyland, Wood created Marco Engineering, Inc. to design theme parks. Many Disney employees joined him and he had access to the vendors and other talent available to him during the Disneyland days. He billed himself as "The Master Planner of Disneyland." A Disney lawsuit stopped him from using that title, but it did not seek financial damages. Wood's firm helped create Magic Mountain (later Heritage Square, now defunct) at Golden, Colorado during 1957, Pleasure Island (in Wakefield, Massachusetts, during 1959, Freedomland U.S.A. (on the current site of Co-op City and its adjacent shopping center in the Bronx, a borough of New York City), during 1960, and initial work on Six Flags Over Texas before Marco employee Randall Duell took over the project.
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C. V. Wood
Cornelius Vanderbilt Wood Jr. (December 17, 1920 – March 14, 1992) was an American developer of theme parks and planned communities. He was the chief developer of Disneyland and then, through his own company, Marco Engineering, he developed other parks in several locations across the country. These theme parks included Freedomland U.S.A. in New York City, Pleasure Island in Wakefield, Massachusetts and Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas.
Cornelius Vanderbilt Wood was born in Waynoka, Oklahoma. Throughout his early life, Wood was referred to as Junior and “Woodsy.” Later on, friends and business colleagues called him “C.V. Wood” or “C.V.” or “Woody.”[citation needed] The family moved to Amarillo, Texas following Wood’s father's promotion within the Santa Fe Railway. After high school, Wood attended Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene and became a champion trick roper for the school’s Cowboy Marching Band. Wood’s employment began in 1941 and included nine years at Convair (formed in 1943 by the merger of Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee Aircraft), an American aircraft manufacturing company that later expanded into rockets and spacecraft. He became a chief industrial engineer and contributed to innovations in the manufacture of aircraft, despite having no degree in engineering. His first supervisor was Fred V. Schumacher, who would reunite with Wood on later projects.
Wood was employed by the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) during the early 1950s when he first met Walt Disney. Wood was tapped to lead the team that had been assembled to crunch the numbers and find a location for the park that would become Disneyland. SRI, located in Menlo Park, California, is a nonprofit research and development organization founded by the trustees of Stanford University. The firm later separated from the university in 1970.
Wood was hired away from the Stanford Research Institute during 1954 by the Disney brothers, Walt and Roy, to become vice president and general manager of the Disneyland project. He was Disneyland's first employee. At 34 years old, Wood tapped into the brothers' ideas to help bring Disneyland to life. Wood worked closely with the Disney brothers and other employees. He also hired his old Texas friends and others he had known at Convair and at the Stanford Research Institute. He also employed set designers, artists, special effects technicians and other talent. Wood offered many ideas for the new entertainment attraction and he exhibited unchecked energy to build it.[unbalanced opinion?]
Wood often said that Walt Disney initially treated him as a son. But, over time, the relationship became strained. The Disneys sometimes were uncomfortable around Wood or, more specifically, with some of his sales and other tactics that he employed to build Disneyland. Walt Disney also raised a number of issues that involved Wood, including that the man he hired was receiving too much credit for Disneyland.
Within a year after Disneyland opened, Wood and the Disneys parted ways. Some people who were there at the time said Walt Disney fired Wood. Others said Roy Disney cut the ties. Even others said Wood realized the relationship had soured and left the company. One longtime employee, Bob Gurr, who was loyal to the Disneys, said that Wood was a con man. Another employee, Van Arsdale France, believed that the relationship would not survive, because Wood and Walt Disney both were fiercely independent.
Soon after the split, Wood's role in the creation of Disneyland was omitted from all company records and histories. Over the years, the Walt Disney Company has honored various executives instrumental in the construction of Disneyland with window signs designating them as the proprietors of fictional businesses along Main Street, U.S.A., with one exception: "There is no window for C. V. Wood."
After leaving Disneyland, Wood created Marco Engineering, Inc. to design theme parks. Many Disney employees joined him and he had access to the vendors and other talent available to him during the Disneyland days. He billed himself as "The Master Planner of Disneyland." A Disney lawsuit stopped him from using that title, but it did not seek financial damages. Wood's firm helped create Magic Mountain (later Heritage Square, now defunct) at Golden, Colorado during 1957, Pleasure Island (in Wakefield, Massachusetts, during 1959, Freedomland U.S.A. (on the current site of Co-op City and its adjacent shopping center in the Bronx, a borough of New York City), during 1960, and initial work on Six Flags Over Texas before Marco employee Randall Duell took over the project.