Sandy Dennis was born here. At Mary Lanning Hospital in 1937. And she lived here—in Hastings and Kenesaw. With dad and mom, Jack and Yvonne. And brother, Frank. In 1946, she moved to Lincoln, but even during her teen years, she often returned to visit her family. And the area she loved.

Sandy graduated from Lincoln High School in 1955 and briefly attended Nebraska Wesleyan and then the University of Nebraska before being beckoned by the bright lights of the New York stage. She studied under noted thespian and teacher Uta Hagen before gaining fame for her work on Broadway. There she won two consecutive Tony Awards for her performances in A Thousand Clowns in 1963 and Any Wednesday in 1964. In 1966, she was given an Academy Award for best supporting actress in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe. She won a Golden Globe in 1970 for her role in The Out-of-Towners.