UNIQUELY AMERICAN, UNIVERSALLY RECOGNIZED
He was an unknown young actor from mid-America who took Hollywood by storm with his first film. And then as suddenly as he had appeared, he was gone. He had made only three films when he was cut down by an tragic accident. Yet today, more than 50 years later, James Dean is revered as the actor's actor, long after hundreds of talented actors with much longer careers and far greater commercial success have been forgotten.

His enigmatic grip on the public has not diminished with time. His mark on the acting world has been singular and unparalleled. There is no shortage of actors, critics, and fans who acknowledge and celebrate his extraordinary influence on the American psyche, not to mention movies and acting. Sadly, however, there is no permanent institution or memorial to this enigmatic actor. Beside his films the only public permanent monument to this great talent is a one simple small headstone in the cemetery of his hometown of Fairmount, Indiana.