Michael Broggie
Encyclopedia
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
. As a public speaker, he toured the country lecturing on his first-person experiences with Walt Disney and many of the Disney Legends
Disney Legends
Established in 1987, the Disney Legends program recognizes people who have made an extraordinary and integral contribution to The Walt Disney Company. The honor is awarded annually during a special ceremony....
, including his father, the late Roger E. Broggie
Roger E. Broggie
Roger E. Broggie was an American mechanical engineer who worked with Walt Disney and the Walt Disney Company.-Early life:...
, who was selected by Walt Disney to be his first Imagineer.
Early life
Born in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, Broggie grew up between Lake Arrowhead and the San Fernando Valley. His father, Roger E. Broggie, was the head of Walt Disney Studio's machine shop. As a small child, Michael Broggie got to ride on Walt Disney's backyard 1/8-scale model railroad, which his father helped to build(see Carolwood Pacific Railroad
Carolwood Pacific Railroad
The Carolwood Pacific Railroad was a live steam backyard railroad, built by the American animated film producer and animator, Walt Disney in the backyard of his home in California, USA....
). At age 12, Broggie test-drove the miniature Autopia
Autopia
Autopia is a Disneyland attraction, in which patrons steer specially designed cars through an enclosed track. Versions of Autopia exist at Anaheim, California, Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France, and at Hong Kong Disneyland on Lantau Island, Hong Kong...
cars at the studio and accompanied Walt Disney on the initial run of Disneyland Railroad
Disneyland Railroad
The Disneyland Railroad , originally the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad, is a narrow gauge railroad at Disneyland, Anaheim, California, United States, that was inaugurated on the park's live television preview on July 17, 1955. This live steam railway was constructed for $240,000; each of the...
's steam trains on June 18, 1955.
Broggie earned an MBA and a doctorate in Marketing - summa cum laude - at Pacific University, San Diego; a BA in Communications from California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge is a public university in Northridge, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, California, United States....
; and an AA in Journalism - with honors - from Los Angeles Valley College
Los Angeles Valley College
Los Angeles Valley College is a community college located in the Valley Glen district of Los Angeles, California in the east-central San Fernando Valley. The school is a part of the Los Angeles Community College District....
. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, where he served in the Aerospace Medical Command as a pharmacy specialist. He attended Lincoln University School of Law, San Francisco but did not graduate. He attended Rim of the World High School at Lake Arrowhead and graduated from North Hollywood High School.
Professional career
Broggie's first job with DisneyThe Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
was in 1960, as an attractions Cast Member (ride operator) at Disneyland on the Autopia
Autopia
Autopia is a Disneyland attraction, in which patrons steer specially designed cars through an enclosed track. Versions of Autopia exist at Anaheim, California, Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France, and at Hong Kong Disneyland on Lantau Island, Hong Kong...
and Mine Train during summer seasons while attending college. After completing his undergraduate education, he joined the Walt Disney Studios
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
in Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
, as a publicity writer in the motion picture marketing department.
For three years in the early 1970s, he returned to his hometown of Lake Arrowhead and served as the executive vice president and general manager of Lake Arrowhead Development Company, owners and developers of the resort. Under his administration, the lake was transferred to a community corporation owned in common by area property owners.
On behalf of the model railroad industry, Broggie appeared in 30 cities as the featured presenter of “Walt Disney's Railroad Story” on a national tour titled “World's Greatest Hobby.”
With his wife, Sharon, he is co-founder and Chairman of the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society and the Carolwood Foundation, which operates Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn
Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn
Walt Disney's Carolwood Barn is a museum located at the Los Angeles Live Steamers complex in Griffith Park. It is a miniature barn used by Walt Disney as a machine shop while operating his miniature "live steam" Carolwood Pacific Railroad layout in the backyard of his home in Holmby Hills, a...
Museum in Griffith Park
Griffith Park
Griffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park covers of land, making it one of the largest urban parks in North America...
, on behalf of Walt Disney's family.
He was founder and served as the initial CEO of The Nautical Foundation, a non-profit corporation that raises funds to promote the values and opportunites of youth and competitive sailing.
Author
Broggie is the author or co-author of eight books. His book released in June 2006 Air Force One: The Final Mission, describing the history of the Presidential Boeing 707Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
installed at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Center for Public Affairs is the presidential library and final resting place of Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States. Designed by Hugh Stubbins and Associates, the library is located in Simi Valley, California, about northwest of...
in Simi Valley, California
Simi Valley, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Simi Valley had a population of 124,237. The population density was 2,940.8 people per square mile...
. His 430-page book, Walt Disney’s Railroad Story, was awarded in 1998 with the Benjamin Franklin Gold Metal for Best Biography from the Publishers Marketing Association
Publishers Marketing Association
The Independent Book Publishers Association is a trade association of independent publishers founded in 1983. With more than 3000 members, it is the largest association of independent publishers in the United States...
(PMA). Broggie's biographical profile of Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett
Warren Edward Buffett is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful investors in the world. Often introduced as "legendary investor, Warren Buffett", he is the primary shareholder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is...
’s longtime partner, Charlie Munger
Charlie Munger
Charles Thomas Munger is an American business magnate, lawyer, investor, and philanthropist. He is Vice-Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Corporation, the diversified investment corporation chaired by Warren Buffett; in that capacity, Buffett describes Munger as "my partner." Munger is also the...
, is contained in a 470-page book edited by Peter Kaufman, Poor Charlie’s Almanack, released in 2005. His inspirational book of photographs and modivational words beginning with the letter C titled "Walt Disney's Words of Wisdom" was released in 2010. "The History of Disney Merchandise" was written for The Walt Disney Company in 2001. "Walt Disney's Happy Place," is an illustrated biography of Walt Disney designed for shared reading by children and adults. He is the author of the official souvenir guide to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. He has authored and edited numerous articles for national publications. His history of the mining community of Irwindale has been completed and is awaiting publication.
Sources
- Broggie, Michael (2006). Walt Disney's Railroad Story. Marceline, Missouri, Virginia Beach, Virginia: The Donning Company Publishers, Walsworth Publishing Company. ISBN 1-57864-309-0
- Carolwood Pacific Historical Society Website