Melvyn Douglas (April 5, 1901-August 4, 1981) died in 1981 at the age of 80. Born in Macon, Georgia, he graduated from the University of Chicago before beginning his career on Broadway and in Hollywood films. He was an award-winning actor known for his roles in some of the most beloved films of the 1930s and 1940s. His career in film began when he appeared in the 1931 film A Free Soul opposite Norma Shearer. This role earned him his first Oscar nomination for best actor. He subsequently earned his first Academy Award in 1939 for his role in the classic film Ninotchka. During his illustrious film career, he would go on to appear in classics such as The Women, Theodora Goes Wild and popular Westerns, such as The Mercenary. Melvyn Douglas also had a successful career on the stage, and adapted his role from the film The Old Dark House for the Broadway stage. His performance in A Very Rich Woman earned him the first Earl Carroll Strand Theatre Award. Throughout his career, Melvyn Douglas was also recognized for his remarkable work as a humanitarian, leading him to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Richard Nixon in 1977. He was an advocate for civil rights and social justice, and was instrumental in lobbying for the passage of the 1966 Freedom of Information Act. He is survived by his two sons and his wife (of 44 years), actress Helen Gahagan Douglas.