William Hanna died before working in 1937.
William Denby `` Bill '' Hanna ( July 14 , 1910 -- March 22 , 2001 ) was an American animator , director , producer , voice actor , and cartoon artist , whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of people for much of the 20th century . In 1937 , while working at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ( MGM ) , Hanna met Joseph Barbera .