A 23 year old pianist from Kilgore gave sagging morale back home a much needed boost by winning first prize at the International Tschaikowsky competition on Apr. 12, 1958.

Van Cliburn was just what the doctor ordered for a country still down in the dumps over the Soviets’ Sputnik space spectacular six months earlier.  With American morale lower than at any time since Pearl Harbor, the curly-headed celebrity was Charles Lindbergh in a tuxedo.

In the rush to claim the superstar as one of their ow...