It always gives me a warm fuzzy feeling when I hear stories about small town folk doing well in life. I am especially pleased for those who go on to “make it big!” While many people may have never heard of William Beedle, he is one of O’Fallon’s own who did just that! His family and friends knew him as “Billy” ~ but Hollywood would come to know him as the actor William Holden.

Willian Franklin Beedle, Jr. was born in O’Fallon, Illinois on April 17, 1918. Billy’s family heritage included some recognizable names. His mother’s family was related to Mary Ball, the mother of our first president, George Washington. Her father was cousin to Senator Warren G. Harding, who went on to become the 29^th President of the United States. Holden proudly acknowledged his ancestors, saying, “I am the great-great grandson of one of the founders of our fatherland.”

William was discovered by a Paramount Pictures talent scout. He worked for Paramount studio as well as Columbia Picture, before serving in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II.  He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, and was assigned to the First Motion Picture Unit, where he acted in training films and a few short documentaries.

Following the war, he returned to Hollywood where he once again began making movies. His career took off in 1950 when he starred in Sunset Boulevard, which earned him his first Best Actor Oscar nomination. In 1954, he earned the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Stalag 17.  Holden  most widely recognized role was Commander Shears in the 1957 movie The Bridge on the River Kwai with Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kinobi in Star Wars – A New Hope). This movie was huge commercial success, and Holden’s deal with the studio was considered one of the best ever for an actor at the time, with him receiving 10% of the gross, earning him over $2.5 million.

Holden was best man in close friend Ronald Reagan’s wedding to Nancy Davis. Regan was a fellow actor who would go on to become the 40^th president of the United States. When William passed away in 1981, President Reagan released the following statement: “I have a great feeling of grief. We were close friends for many years. What do you say about a longtime friend – a sense of personal loss, a fine man. Our friendship never waned.”

If you would like to learn more about this hometown boy’s success story and see some of the artifacts on display, stop by the History Portal on the second floor of the library. You might also want to take a drive past his old boyhood home, which still stands in downtown O’Fallon!