By Drew Lash
June Lockhart, iconic television and Broadway actress of the 1950s and â60s and Westlake School alum, donated the first Tony Award for Best Newcomer for her role in âFor Love or Moneyâ to the Smithsonian.
On January 29th the Smithsonian held a special ceremony in Los Angeles at the El Portal Theater honoring nine women who helped shaped television, cinema and theater.
Along with other actressesâ memorabilia, including Florence Henderson and Esther Williams welcomed Lockhartâs piece of history into their permanent collection. Lockhart received the Tony award, then known as the Antoinette Perry Award, in 1947, after appearing in several motion pictures.
Lockhart started her acting career while still attending Westlake School. After graduating in 1943, she would work as a screen actress until her theater debut in 1947. In that year, she was awarded with a Tony, along with a Donaldson and Theater World Awards.
However, she is most widely known for her roles in Lassie and Lost in Space. She is also the daughter of actor and actress Gene and Kathleen Lockhart, with whom she stared with in her very first movie, âA Christmas Carol,â as their on-screen daughter.
