Walt Disney considered Ward Kimball a genius. Ward was one of Walt’s Nine Old Men, a group of his most trusted animators. He would animate, produce, and direct in his over 40 year career at the studio. Outside of animation, Ward was a gifted musician. He formed The Firehouse Five Plus Two, a Dixieland jazz band comprised of Disney artists who found fame in the 1950’s and even shared the stage with Louis Armstrong. Ward was also passionate about collecting toys, vintage automobiles, and model tra