Dale Robertson, a renowned actor who made a significant impact in television Westerns during the 1950s and 1960s, was born on July 14, 1923, in Harrah, Oklahoma.
Following his service in a tank crew and combat engineers in North Africa and Europe during World War II, where he received two wounds, Robertson began his acting career while still on active duty in the U.S. Army.
While stationed at San Luis Obispo, California, he had a photograph taken for his mother, which later caught the attention of movie scouts at a photo shop.
As a result, the six-foot-tall, 180-pound Robertson soon found himself on his way to Hollywood.
Will Rogers Jr., whose father is one of the most famous sons of Oklahoma, advised Robertson to avoid formal training and maintain his own persona, which he took to heart and never pursued acting classes.
Robertson became typecast in Western movies and TV shows, which was still America's favorite genre at the time. He headlined two TV series, Tales of Wells Fargo (1957),in which he played the roving trouble-shooter Jim Hardie, and Iron Horse (1966),in which he won a railway in a poker game.
Additionally, he served as one of the hosts, along with Ronald Reagan, of the syndicated series Death Valley Days (1952) during the 1960s. Robertson later appeared in the inaugural season of Dynasty (1981).
The actor is a recipient of the Golden Boot Award in 1985 and was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers and the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City.
Today, Robertson is retired and resides on a ranch near Oklahoma City, not far from his birthplace of Harrah.
