Taylor’s famous Disney duck

OUR TOWN

Did you know the Taylor Ducks caught the attention of entertainment icon Mr. Walt Disney in 1941?

Eighty-four years ago, Taylor High School head football Coach T. H. Johnson received an autographed Donald Duck cartoon from celebrity Walt Disney. The inscription read, “To the Taylor High School Ducks. Greetings. Walt Disney.”

After becoming the Taylor Independent School District superintendent in 1947, Mr. Johnson displayed the Disney Duck in a simple frame on a filing cabinet in his office. At that time, the superintendent’s office was located in the main office of the high school. Two secretaries occupied the center area, with Mr. Johnson’s office to the left and the principal’s office to the right.

My friend Janell (Kunz) Rohlack joined the office staff in 1950 as secretary to the principal. Her good friend, LaVerne (Heine) Eulenfeld was secretary for Mr. Johnson.

Janell recalls that Mr. Johnson displayed photos of his winning football teams around the top of the wall in his office. The Disney Duck, signed by Mr. Disney himself, always sat on his filing cabinet.

She described the popular cartoon as “a really cool picture” and “a part of his office.”

During his career, and even into retirement, Mr. Johnson produced numerous books on the history of Taylor, Taylor schools and, in particular, Taylor football. The highly respected school leader enjoyed sharing these homemade books — written on a typewriter and copied on a mimeograph machine — with both current and former students.

The Disney Duck decorated the cover of almost every title, and in several of these books he mentions having received the Disney cartoon in 1941. But that appears to be the only detail he documented about the now-famous autograph.

Former students and colleagues have speculated that either Coach Johnson or someone on the team may have written to Disney, asking for the autograph. But research for a video documentary about the legendary Taylor coach revealed that news of the winning Taylor Ducks had spread far beyond our city limits at the time.

Evidence that Taylor football began gaining national attention during the 1930s was found in an article published in a 1951 issue of the Cotton Boll, Taylor High’s student-produced newspaper.

The article reported that at the Taylor-Killeen game that year, a journalist from the Killeen newspaper told Taylor’s student reporters that T. H. Johnson had appeared in Bob Ripley’s “Believe It or Not” column because the Ducks remained undefeated from 1930 to 1935.

The journalist also called Mr. Johnson one of the greatest high school coaches he had ever seen.

In another issue of the Cotton Boll, also from 1951, a brief article titled, “History Discovered; Picture Uncovered,” finally solved the mystery of the Disney Duck. It seems that a Cotton Boll staff member saw the framed autograph on the filing cabinet in the superintendent’s office and asked about its origin.

The former coach told the young reporter that Perry Winkly, a sportswriter for the San Antonio Evening News, had written to Walt Disney, telling him about the Taylor Ducks and suggesting he honor the team with a drawing of his cartoon character, Donald Duck. Soon after that, Mr. Johnson received a picture of “Donald” with the inscription by Mr. Disney.

After Mr. Johnson’s death in 2000, his daughter Dorothy Elliott donated the treasured autograph to the Taylor High School Ex-Students Association. Naomi Pasemann (Class of 1954) accepted the donation as the coordinator of the association at the time, and now Pat Helbert (Class of 1969) oversees the Duck Room Museum and organizes homecoming festivities.

The original Disney Duck is safely locked away, although copies are proudly displayed across the district.

T. H. Johnson came to Taylor in 1926 as assistant to Coach C. R. Drake. His first year in Taylor was the Ducks’ best season to date, and Mr. Johnson began a career in Taylor that would last the next 40 years. During that time, he served as a coach, a teacher and superintendent.

In 1983, T. H. Johnson Elementary School opened in his honor. During Mr. Johnson’s years as head coach, the Ducks claimed seven district titles, six regional titles, four unbeaten seasons and a 30-game winning streak. In 1986, Mr. Johnson was inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor.

“Win is Our Slogan” is a video documentary about the life and career of T. H. Johnson and may be viewed on the Taylor ISD YouTube channel.

Next week’s topic will be about a local hero who made a huge difference right here at home. Until then, make it a great week.

Crow is a longtime Taylor resident and retired from the Taylor Independent School District after 40 years of service. For a topic or suggestion, reach out to Crow via jason.chlapek@granitemediapartners.

com.