Dean's homeland/Deans Heimat/La patria de Dean/родина Дина

Heritage Center, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1997

[...] Other notable names in the Gallery are actor Robert Redford, Colorado Rockies owner Jerry McMorris, Gov. Roy Romer and peace activist Dean Reed.

One of the most underrated and interesting stories at the center belongs to Reed.

Although little-known in America, Reed was, by critical accounts, "the most famous American in the world" in the 1960s and '70s. Reed used his mega rock-star status in Eastern Europe and the former USSR to further peace. He was very critical of U.S. involvement in Latin American politics.

Reed boasted many accomplishments. He sang to sold-out shows in 32 countries; wrote, directed and starred in 18 movies; spoke five languages; and became the only non-Soviet to win the prestigious Lenin Peace Prize. He is credited for introducing rock 'n' roll to the Soviet Union in the 1960s. Shortly after announcing to "60 Minutes" his intentions to return to the United States in the mid 1980s, Reed was found dead at the bottom of a lake near his home in East Germany.

A scholarship in his honor has been created at CU. Tim Neese, director of the Instructional Technology Resource Center, said he enjoys stories such as Reed's and thinks the Heritage Center is a wonderful place. [...]

1997 Campus Press, University of Colorado at Boulder