“The Duke” — the Winterset-born actor who became the face of the American Western.
Marion Robert Morrison was born on May 26, 1907, in a small house in Winterset, Iowa, before his family moved to California. Taking the screen name John Wayne, he rose from bit parts to become one of Hollywood's biggest and most enduring stars.
Over some 170 films he defined the Western and war-film hero, winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for “True Grit” (1969).
Decades after his death, John Wayne remains a symbol of a certain American ideal, and his Iowa hometown honors him with the John Wayne Birthplace & Museum in Winterset.
He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
“The Duke” — the Winterset-born actor who became the face of the American Western.
John Wayne was from Winterset, Iowa.
1907–1979.
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