James Dean was an American original who, on the basis of high school honors and in a period of five years, rose to the very pinnacle of the theatrical profession and, through the magic of motion pictures, lives on in legend. Fairmount became the world's "hometown" as loyal fans continued to come from around the world to pay their respects to Dean. Early in 1955, James Dean visited the studio of artist Kenneth Kendall and asked, "Would you be interested in sculpting me!" The artist began work the night the actor died. An inscription from an Ancient Greek funeral stele reads, "Summer was only beginning."