Proper noun
Nine Old Men
(historical) A group of nine men who worked as core animators at Disney: Les Clark, Marc Davis, Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl, Ward Kimball, Eric Larson, John Lounsbery, Wolfgang Reitherman and Frank Thomas.
When it comes to classic Disney, I've got it in my DNA. I mean, the guy who trained me, the man who mentored me when I first came to the Studio was Eric Larson, one of Walt's Nine Old Men. Chris Buck
But they would tell me — my mentors, Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men — don’t animate what the character’s doing, animate with the character’s thinking, feeling. Source: Internet