Happy Birthday to Tom Mix, the first great film cowboy. Long before a guy named Clint Eastwood played The Man Who Had No Name, or John Wayne became The Duke (even John Wayne), there was Tom Mix. Today marks the 143rd birthday of the early Hollywood film star who was once called “the most radiant of movie cowboys.” And for good reason: Mix also had tremendous personal style on and off the silver screen, often sporting his ten-gallon off-white Stetson with a double-breasted suit or traditional Western attire. Aware of the impact he had on young fans, Mix insisted that the characters he played on screen demonstrated strong values. “Straight shooters always win, lawbreakers always lose” was the motto of his fan club. Throughout his career, he appeared in more than 300 films, and his legend lives on in the Stetson Tom Mix, with its signature sloped “Gus” crown, grosgrain ribbon, and 5-inch flat brim. Mix’s spirit is perhaps best captured in a short video biography, released after his death, that cataloged his accomplishments and ends with him putting his handprints and his horse Tony’s hoofprints in wet cement for the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Next to his hands and his signature is a simple sketch of his beloved Stetson. (Swipe to view.) Read the legend of Tom Mix on #StetsonStories (link in bio).