Mary Tyler Moore-The Dick Van Dyke Show
When trying to decide which of the two big stars from The Dick Van Dyke Show to put on this list I went with Mary Tyler Moore for a number of reasons. As much as I love Dick van Dyke, it was the breakout role that Mary Tyler Moore played and her impact on the world that gave her the edge. That, and growing up, I was the weird kid with posters of her on my wall (I always thought she was a stunning woman).
While she could have followed the same path as many of the stars on this list, she actually went into planning for the long run by creating MTM Enterprises with her husband at the time Grant Tinker.
She had one son, Richard Jr. with her first husband Richard Carleton meeker. Unfortunately, he died from a self-inflicted gunshot would to the head from a shotgun which was later recalled due to its hair trigger.
At 33, Moore was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes which eventually lead her to becoming the International Chairman of the JDRF (formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). She has used her fame to help raise funds and awareness of the disease.
In 2007, the foundation created the “Forever Moore” research initiative which will help in JDRF’s Academic Research and Development as well as Clinical Development Program. This was created for her as a sign of appreciation for everything she has done for the foundation.
She is also a long-time animal rights activist and worked with Farm Sanctuary to help raise awareness about factory farming and promoting humane and compassionate treatment of farm animals.
She never lost touch with her roots though. In 1995 she donated funds to help acquire an historic structure in Shepherdstown, West Virginia to be used as a Civil War studies center for Shepherd University in honor of her father George Tyler Moore. He was a Civil War buff. She also helped donate funds to the renovation of the house which Major General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson used as a headquarters from 1861-62.