A little girl named Donnabelle Mullenger was born on Jan. 27, 1921, in Denison, Iowa. She was just 17 when she moved to Los Angeles and soon after won a beauty pageant that helped to launch a remarkable career in Hollywood. Highlights include starring opposite Jimmy Stewart in Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life,” an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role opposite Frank Sinatra in “From Here to Eternity,” and creating and starring in the television series “The Donna Reed Show.”
But Donna Reed always loved Iowa – and Iowa has loved her back, even after her death in 1986. Here are just a few ways her home state is celebrating the 100th anniversary of her birth in 2021.
Donna Reed’s Centennial
| December 11, 2020: |
The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs features Donna Reed during its virtual Celebrate Iowa Gala, including a live interview between Reed’s daughter Mary Owen and WOI-TV news host Jackie Schmillen, a 1998 Donna Reed Iowa Scholarship recipient. Tony, Emmy and Grammy Award Nominee Brandon Victor Dixon chatted live via Zoom with Schmillen about their experiences as recipients of the Donna Reed Scholarship and the impact of Donna’s legacy today. |
| January 27: |
Gov. Kim Reynolds proclaims Donna Reed Day exactly 100 years after Donna’s birth. (Read the proclamation and watch the video.) |
| January 27: |
The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs and the Donna Reed Foundation host a virtual birthday party on Facebook Live, featuring guest appearances from Reed’s daughter Mary Owen, Turner Classic Movies host Alicia Malone and others. |
| January 27: |
Turner Classic Movies airs a Donna Reed marathon and posts a tribute video. |
| January 27: |
Raygun, a retail shop in Des Moines, releases a special T-shirt honoring the “mom, mogul, movie star.” |
| January 27: |
The Des Moines Register remembers Donna Reed with front-page coverage. |
| March 25: |
The State Historical Society of Iowa hosts an Iowa History 101 webinar, “100 Years of Donna Reed,” with Reed’s daughter Mary Owen, state curator Leo Landis, and Donna Reed Foundation board member Kurt Lee. |
| May 9: |
Donna Reed Foundation hosts a Mother’s Day event to honor “Super Moms,” like Reed and the iconic character she played on TV. |
| June through September: |
The State Historical Museum of Iowa displays five of Reed’s dresses and a romper, on loan from the Donna Reed Museum in Denison. |
| November 1: |
Produce Iowa, the state office of media production, selects a top ten list of episodes from “The Donna Reed Show” to help new fans discover this media mogul and star. |
| November 6: |
The Iowa Department of Human Rights hosts a virtual ceremony to induct Reed into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame. |
| November 11: |
The Donna Reed Foundation marks Veterans Day by sharing the story of Reed’s handwritten correspondence with military servicemen during World War II. |
| December: |
Goldie’s Kids Club, a State Historical Museum of Iowa program for children and families, releases a Goldie’s Winter Break Kit that focuses on Iowa’s film connections, including Donna Reed. |
| December 9: |
The State Historical Museum of Iowa hosts a virtual program to celebrate the 75th anniversary of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” (The movie is an annual tradition in Denison, where it’s occasionally screened in both English and Spanish.) |
| Ongoing: |
An exhibit called “Hollywood in the Heartland” at the State Historical Museum of Iowa showcases several artifacts from Reed’s career, along with artifacts from other Iowa movie stars. |
| Ongoing: |
The Donna Reed Foundation collects and shares video tributes to Reed from her co-stars, biographers and others. |
