(1900–67), U.S. actor. In a film career that spanned from 1930 to 1967, Spencer Tracy starred in more than 60 pictures and won two Academy awards. Tracy was born on April 5, 1900, in Milwaukee, Wis. He served in the United States Navy during World War I. In 1937 he won an Academy award for his role in ‘Captains Courageous'. He won his second Academy award one year later for his performance in ‘Boys Town'. Several of his movies costarred Katharine Hepburn. His movies include ‘Edison the Man' (1940), ‘Adam's Rib' (1949), ‘The Last Hurrah' (1958), ‘The Old Man and the Sea' (1958), ‘Inherit the Wind' (1960), and ‘Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' (1967). He was named the best United States actor at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival.