Actor James Byron Dean was born at the "Seven Gables" apartment house at the corner of 4th and McClure Streets in Marion, Indiana, on February 8, 1931. An only child to parents Winton Dean, a dental technician, and Mildred Wilson Dean.

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"I, James Byron Dean, was born February 8, 1931, Marion, Indiana. My parents, Winton Dean and Mildred Dean, formerly Mildred Wilson, and myself existed in the state of Indiana until I was six years of age. Dad's work with the government caused a change, so Dad as a dental mechanic was transferred to California. There we lived, until the fourth year. Mom became ill and passed out of my life at the age of nine. I never knew the reason for Mom's death, in fact it still preys on my mind. I had always lived such a talented life. I studied violin, played in concerts, tap-danced on theatre stages but most of all I like art, to mold and create things with my hands. I came back to Indiana to live with my uncle. I lost the dancing and violin, but not the art. I think my life will be devoted to art and dramatics. And there are so many different fields of art it would be hard to foul-up, and if I did, there are so many different things to do -- farm, sports, science, geology, coaching, teaching music. I got it and I know if I better myself that there will be no match. A fellow must have confidence. When living in California my young eyes experienced many things. It was also my luck to make three visiting trips to Indiana, going and coming a different route each time. I have been in almost every state west of Indiana. I remember all. My hobby, or what I do in my spare time, is motorcycle. I know a lot about them mechanically and I love to ride. I have been in a few races and have done well. I own a small cycle myself. When I'm not doing that, I'm usually engaged in athletics, the heartbeat of every American boy. As one strives to make a goal in a game, there should be a goal in this crazy world for all of us. I hope I know where mine is, anyway, I'm after it. I don't mind telling you, Mr. Dubois, this is the hardest subject to write about considering the information one knows of himself, I ever attempted."
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(by Dean "My Case Study" to Roland Dubois, Fairmount High School Principal, 1948).
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Jimmy's mother died of cancer in 1940, Winton unable to cope without his wife sent his nine-year-old son to Fairmount to be raised by his paternal aunt and uncle, Marcus and Ortense Winslow.



"When I was four or five or six my mother has me playing the violin-I was a child prodigy. My mother also had me tap dancing..not at the same time I played the violin, though! If she hadn't died I'd probably be sawing away yet..."

His Grandmother, Emma, took the young boy and Mildred's body back with her to Fairmount. During the train journey, Jimmy frequently ran back to the carriage carrying his mothers coffin, to check it was still on board.

"Having no mother is tough on a kid, you know. But when she died I went to live with my aunt and uncle - great people." However, this decision placed a wedge between Jimmy and his father that would be hard to fix." I never understood him. I never understood what he was after, what sort of of person he'd been because he never tried to get on my side of the fence or try to see things the way I saw them when I was little."

The Winslows raised little Jimmy on their farm and during his youth he attended Fairmount West Ward (Old Academy) and in 1945 went to Fairmount High School. Reportedly he was an average student, but excelled in sports (he was on the track, baseball and basketball teams), art, drama and band. Drama was his first love at school and he even placed first in the Indiana State Contest of the National Forensic League with this presentation of "The Madman" by Dickens, and sixth in the National Contest held at Longmont, Colorado.



Jimmy always had a tempestuous relationship with his father and after he graduated, he returned to Winton in California, where he attended Santa Monica City College. Majoring in pre-law at his Fathers encouragement, but then and later UCLA, where he was a theatre major.

"By then I had a notion that acting might be the career for me. When I first mentioned acting to dad, he didn't think it was such a hot idea. He'd seen too much Hollywood garbage, and thought I'd be wasting my time."

1951 James Dean left California for the streets of New York to get into "serious" acting. He spent many years living hand to mouth in shabby apartments looking for any acting work he could find. It was during this period that he attended the famous 'Actors Studio' and became a student of 'the method'.



After being cast in the Broadway play "The Immoralist," that he was spotted by director Elia Kazan, who immediately screen tested Dean to star in the leading role in John Steinbeck's classic, "East of Eden. Dean signed a contract with Warner Brothers and was advanced $700, for which he used to purchase his first sports car, a used MG TA.

During the making of the film he met a young starlet by the name of Pier Angeli. The two soon began dating, and a smitten Jimmy even started saying she was the love of his live. However it was to be a short lived affair, as Piers Mother disliked Jimmy and pressed her daughter to distance herself from him and marry singer Vic Damone.



Eden was a huge success and Jimmy went on to make "Rebel Without A Cause" with director Nick Ray and co-stars Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo. His third film was the epic, "Giant," would be his last picture which co-starred Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson.

On Friday September 30th, James Dean takes his brand new silver Porsche Spyder (nicknames 'Little Bastard') to a race in Salinas. Along the route he is hit by a Ford driven by a 23 year old student. The impact breaks his neck and kills him instantly.

"Death. It's the only thing left to respect. It's the only one immutable, undeniable truth. Everything else can be questioned. But death is truth. In it lies the only nobility for man, and beyond it the only hope." James Dean.