Ruthie Tompson Bestows Scholarship

Ruthie Tompson and Susan Bin

On Saturday August 8th, Women in Animation (WIA) presented Susan Bin with the 2015 Phyllis Craig Scholarship, awarded to animation students "who demonstrate artistic talent, a passion for animation, and promise for the future." The award was presented by the eldest member of WIA, 103-year-old Ruthie Tompson.

Susan Bin is currently an animation undergraduate at Harvard with plans to pursue a career in visual development. Bin has previous training from LAAFA, Gnomon, and CGMA, interning at DreamWorks Animation and Legendary Entertainment's comics department. She currently illustrates for Facebook, her most recent published work displayed in HBO's upcoming Game of Thrones Compendium. “I am honored to be the recipient of this year's Phyllis Craig Scholarship. As a developing artist who struggled to find a pathway into the animation industry, I appreciate that I am able to turn to Women in Animation's community of members and events for support and growth in both my career and as an individual,” said Bin. ...

Per Women in Animation:

... Ruthie Tompson was asked to help present the scholarship to Bin along with WIA member Angela Lepito, who served as Bin’s supervisor at DreamWorks Animation. 105-year-old Ruthie Tompson was named a Disney Legend in 2000, recognizing her nearly 40-year career in animation with the Walt Disney Company. Her relationship began with the Disney brothers when they established their first West Coast studio on Kingswell Avenue in the 1920s, the Hollywood neighborhood in which she grew up. After graduating from Hollywood High School, Tompson worked as a painter on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, then moved into the animation checking department and eventually into scene planning, where she served as the supervisor for the department until her retirement in 1975. “It’s a special moment in WIA’s legacy to have a trailblazer such as Ruthie bestowing this award upon Susan, a member of our newest generation. ..." says WIA Head of Scholarship Committee Barb Cimity. ...

Ms. Thompson is one of the few surviving artists from "Snow White", animator Don Lusk being one of the others.


From left to right, bottom row: Ruthie Tompson, Susan Bin. Top row: Kaaren Brown (WIA Chair of Mentorship), Tracey Miller-Zarneke (WIA Chair of Legacy and Archives), Barb Cimity (WIA Treasurer), Marge Dean (WIA Co-President), Jinko Gotoh (WIA Chair of Chapter Support)