Spencer Tracy was born April 5, 1900, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After a non-descript hitch at the Norfolk Navy Yard during World War I, Tracy enrolled as a pre-med student at Ripon College in Wisconsin. After joining the debate team, he soon discovered his love for debate and acting in school plays.

Soon, he considered acting as a career and enrolled at the Sargent School in New York, surviving on $30 a month with roommate actor Pat O’Brien. He joined a stock theater company from White Plains, New York in 1923, and in 1931 he moved to Hollywood. He signed a contract with MGM Studios in 1935 where he remained for nearly 20 years.

From 1930 until his death in 1967, Tracy starred in 59 major films. He was the first man to win the Academy Award for Best Actor two consecutive years – “ Captains Courageous” in 1937 and “ Boys Town ” in 1938. (The record was matched 55 years later by Tom Hanks.) Tracy gave the Oscar he won for “ Boys Town ” to Father Flanagan. That Oscar remains on display at the Boys Town Hall of History.

Tracy died June 10, 1967, just three weeks after shooting his last film, “ Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner.”

In 2003, in celebration of the 65 th anniversary of the movie Boys Town, Spencer Tracy’s family returned to Boys Town for recognition. In order to adequately honor Spencer Tracy and his family, Father Val J. Peter dedicated the first tile on the Home’s new Wall of Fame to the actor's generosity to Father Flanagan and Boys Town. Tracy's son, John, grandson, Joe, granddaughter-in-law, Cyndi, and great-grandsons, Sean and Shane, were present at the dedication ceremony.

Even today, Spencer Tracy is considered one of the most skillful actors of his time. He could portray any character in any genre and have audiences believing every word. Tracy’s work has truly stood the test of time.

Read what Spencer Tracy had to say about playing the role of Father Flanagan.