This page is about the humorist; for others with similar names see William Rogers. There are several men named William Rogers (and similar spellings among them William P

William Penn Adair Rogers
Will Rogers
Born	November 4, 1879 (1879-11-04) Oologah, Indian Territory (now Oklahoma)
Died	August 15, 1935 (aged 55) Point Barrow, Alaska Territory
Occupation	actor, comic, columnist, radio personality
Spouse	Betty (1908–1944)
Children	William Vann "Bill" Mary Amelia James Blake Fred Stone

William Penn Adair “Will” Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was a Cherokee-American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer and actor. Events 1333 - Flood of the Arno River, causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani Year 1879 ( MDCCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Oologah is a town in Rogers County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 883 at the 2000 census. The Indian Territory, also known as The Indian Country, The Indian territory or the Indian territories, was land set aside within the United States Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Point Barrow or Nuvuk is a headland on the Arctic coast of the U The Alaska Territory was an incorporated territory of the United States from 1912 to 1959 An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience primarily by making them laugh A columnist is a Journalist who writes material on a regular basis for publication in a series A radio personality (also known as a radio host or a radio presenter) is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting William Vann Rogers, generally known as Will Rogers Jr ( October 20, 1911 &ndash July 9, 1993) was a son of legendary humorist Events 1333 - Flood of the Arno River, causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani Year 1879 ( MDCCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Cherokee (ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ a-ni-yv-wi-ya, in the Cherokee language) are a people native to North America, who at the time of European contact The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A cowboy is an animal Herder who tends Cattle on Ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback and often performs a multitude of A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience primarily by making them laugh A humorist is a person who writes or performs humorous material Social commentary is the act of rebelling against a government by means of rhetorical propaganda Vaudeville was a Genre of variety entertainment prevalent on the stage in the United States and Canada, from the early 1880s An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works

Known as Oklahoma's favorite son,^[1] Rogers was born to a prominent Indian Territory family and learned to ride horses and use a lariat so well that he was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for throwing three ropes at once—one around the neck of a horse, another around the horse's rider, and a third around all four legs of the horse. Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. The Indian Territory, also known as The Indian Country, The Indian territory or the Indian territories, was land set aside within the United States Reata redirects here For the comic book character see Reata (comics A lasso, lariat, or riata (from the Spanish reata Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records (and in previous U He ultimately traveled around the world three times, made 71 movies (50 silent films and 21 "talkies"),^[2] wrote more than 4,000 nationally-syndicated newspaper columns,^[3] and became a world-famous figure. United States cinema has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century Print syndication is a form of syndication in which News articles columns, or Comic strips are made available to Newspapers, Magazines

By the mid-1930s, Rogers was adored by the American people, and was the top-paid movie star in Hollywood at the time. Classical Hollywood cinema or the classical Hollywood narrative, are terms used in film history which designates both a visual and sound style for making motion pictures On an around-the-world trip with aviator Wiley Post, Rogers died when their small airplane crashed near Barrow, Alaska Territory in 1935. Wiley Hardeman Post ( November 22, 1898 &ndash August 15, 1935) was the first pilot to fly solo around the world Barrow is a city in and the borough seat of the North Slope Borough of the state of Alaska, United States. The Alaska Territory was an incorporated territory of the United States from 1912 to 1959

Early years

The "White House on the Verdigris River", the home where Will Rogers was born, near Oologah, Oklahoma

Will Rogers was born on the Dog Iron Ranch in Indian Territory, near present-day Oologah, Oklahoma. Oologah is a town in Rogers County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 883 at the 2000 census. The Dog Iron Ranch, located about two miles east of Oologah Oklahoma, is the historic ranch of humorist Will Rogers. The Indian Territory, also known as The Indian Country, The Indian territory or the Indian territories, was land set aside within the United States Oologah is a town in Rogers County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 883 at the 2000 census. Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. The house he was born in had been built in 1875 and was known as the "White House on the Verdigris River. The Verdigris River is a Tributary of the Arkansas River in southeastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma "^[2] His parents, Clement Vann Rogers (1839–1911) and Mary America Schrimsher (1838–1890), were each of part Cherokee heritage. The Cherokee (ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ a-ni-yv-wi-ya, in the Cherokee language) are a people native to North America, who at the time of European contact Kinship is a relationship between any entities that share a genealogical origin through either biological cultural or historical descent Rogers quipped that his ancestors didn't come over on the Mayflower but they "met the boat. The Mayflower was the famous Ship that transported the English Separatists better known as the Pilgrims, from Southampton, England "^[4] Clement Rogers was a distinguished figure in Indian Territory. A Cherokee senator and judge, he was a Confederate veteran and served as a delegate to the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention. The Constitution of the State of Oklahoma is the governing document of the U Rogers County, Oklahoma is named in honor of Clement Rogers. Rogers County is a County located in the US state of Oklahoma. ^[2] Mary Rogers was the daughter of a Cherokee chief. She died when Will was 11, and his father remarried less than two years after her death. ^[5]

Rogers was the youngest of his parents' eight children. Only three of his siblings, sisters Sallie Clementine, Maude Ethel, and May (Mary), survived into adulthood. The children attended Willow Hassel School in Neosho, Missouri, and later Kemper Military School in Boonville, Missouri. Neosho is a city in and the County seat of Newton County, Missouri, United States. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee Kemper Military School was a private military academy located in Boonville Missouri. Boonville is a city in Cooper County, Missouri, USA The population was 8202 at the 2000 census He ended his studies after the 10th grade. He admitted he was a poor student, saying that he "studied the Fourth Reader for ten years. "^[4] He was much more interested in cowboys and horses, and learned to rope and use a lariat. A cowboy is an animal Herder who tends Cattle on Ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback and often performs a multitude of Reata redirects here For the comic book character see Reata (comics A lasso, lariat, or riata (from the Spanish reata

After ending his brief formal studies, Rogers worked the Dog Iron Ranch for a few years. Near the end of 1901, he and a friend left home with aspirations to work as gauchos in Argentina. Gaucho ( gaúcho in Portuguese, "gaucho" in Spanish) is a term commonly used to describe residents of the South American Pampas For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. ^[4] They made it to Argentina in May 1902, and spent five months trying to make it as ranch owners in the Argentine pampas. Laguna de Gomezjpg|thumb|left|240px|Lake Gomez near Junín in the heart of the Pampas grain belt Unfortunately, Rogers and his partner lost all their money, and in his words, "I was ashamed to send home for more," so the two friends separated and Rogers sailed for South Africa, where he took a job breaking in horses for the British Army near the end of the Boer War. This article is about the former country in Africa For the present-day country see South Africa; for the region where both are located see Southern Africa The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. See also First Boer War,, South African Wars (1879-1915 The Second Boer War ( Dutch: Tweede Boerenoorlog, Afrikaans: ^[6]

When the war ended and the British Army no longer required his services, he began his show business career as a trick roper in "Texas Jack's Wild West Circus":

He (Texas Jack) had a little Wild West aggregation that visited the camps and did a tremendous business. I did some roping and riding, and Jack, who was one of the smartest showmen I ever knew, took a great interest in me. It was he who gave me the idea for my original stage act with my pony. I learned a lot about the show business from him. He could do a bum act with a rope that an ordinary man couldn't get away with, and make the audience think it was great, so I used to study him by the hour, and from him I learned the great secret of the show business—knowing when to get off. It's the fellow who knows when to quit that the audience wants more of. ^[6]

Grateful for the guidance but anxious to move on, Rogers quit the circus and went to Australia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Texas Jack gave him a reference letter for the Wirth Brothers Circus there, and Rogers continued to perform as a rider and trick roper, and worked on his pony act. He returned to the United States in 1904, and began to try his roping skills on the American vaudeville circuits.

Vaudeville

A photo of Rogers taken sometime before 1900

On a trip to New York City, Rogers was at Madison Square Garden when a wild steer broke out of the arena and began to climb into the viewing stands. The City of New York Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four Arenas in New York City. Rogers quickly roped the steer to the delight of the crowd. The feat got front page attention from the newspapers, giving him valuable publicity and an audience eager to see more. William Hammerstein came to see his vaudeville act, and quickly signed Rogers to appear on the Victoria Roof—which was literally on a rooftop—with his pony. For the next 10 years, Rogers estimated he worked for 50 weeks a year at the Roof and at the city's myriad vaudeville theaters. ^[6]

In 1908, Rogers married Betty Blake, and the couple had four children: Will Rogers, Jr. (Bill), Mary Amelia (Mary), James Blake (Jim), and Fred Stone. William Vann Rogers, generally known as Will Rogers Jr ( October 20, 1911 &ndash July 9, 1993) was a son of legendary humorist Bill became a World War II hero, played his father in two films, and became a member of Congress. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Mary became a Broadway actress, and Jim was a newspaperman and rancher; Fred died of diphtheria at age two. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Diphtheria ( Greek διφθερα ( diphthera)—“pair of leather scrolls" is an upper respiratory tract illness characterized by sore ^[3] The family lived in New York, but they managed to make it home to Oklahoma during the summers. In 1911, Rogers bought a 20-acre (8. The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U 1 hectare) ranch near Claremore, Oklahoma, which he intended to use as his retirement home, for US$500 per acre. Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture, Claremore is a city and the County seat of Rogers County, Oklahoma, United States. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ^[3]

In the fall of 1915, Rogers began to appear in Florenz Ziegfeld's Midnight Frolic. Florenz Ziegfeld Jr ( March 21, 1869 &ndash July 22, 1932) called Flo Ziegfeld, was an American Broadway The variety revue began at midnight in the top-floor night club of Ziegfeld's New Amsterdam Theatre, and drew many influential—and regular—customers. A variety show or variety entertainment is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts especially Musical performances and Comedy Skits and The New Amsterdam Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 214 West 42nd Street in the heart of Times Square in New York City. By this time, Rogers had refined his act to a science. His monologues on the news of the day followed a similar routine every night. He appeared on stage in his cowboy outfit, nonchalantly twirling his lasso, and said, "Well, what shall I talk about? I ain't got anything funny to say. All I know is what I read in the papers. " He then made jokes about what he had read in that day's newspapers. The line "All I know is what I read in the papers" is often incorrectly described as Rogers's most famous punch line, when it was in fact his opening line. A punch line is the final part of a Joke or comedy sketch usually the word sentence or exchange of sentences which is intended to be Funny and to provoke

His run at the New Amsterdam ran on into 1916, and Rogers's obvious popularity led to an engagement on the more-famous Ziegfeld Follies. History The Follies were lavish Revues something between later Broadway shows and a more elaborate high class Vaudeville Variety show. Ziegfeld saw comedians as mere 'stage-fillers' who entertained the audience while the stage was reset for the next spectacle of beautiful girls in stunning costumes. Rogers managed to not only hold his own, but achieved star status, with both his roping and his precise satire on the daily news. Satire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although in practice it is also found in the graphic and Performing arts In satire human An editorial in the The New York Times said that "Will Rogers in the Follies is carrying on the tradition of Aristophanes, and not unworthily. Aristophanes (Ἀριστοφάνης ˌærɪˈstɒfəniːz in English ca "^[7] Rogers branched into silent films too, for Samuel Goldwyn's company Goldwyn Pictures. Samuel Goldwyn ( ca. July 1879 &ndash 31 January 1974) was an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award -winning producer Goldwyn Pictures Corporation was an American Motion picture production company founded in 1916 by Samuel Gelbfisz in partnership with Broadway He made his first silent movie, Laughing Bill Hyde, filmed in Fort Lee, New Jersey, in 1918. Fort Lee is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. Many early films were made near the major New York performing market, so Rogers could make the film, yet still rehearse and perform in the Follies. He eventually appeared in most of the Follies from 1916 to 1925.

Movies

This 1921 Vanity Fair caricature by Ralph Barton shows the famous people who, he imagined, left work each day in Hollywood; use cursor to identify individual figures.

Rogers and his young family moved permanently to the West Coast in 1919, when Goldwyn Pictures moved to join the rise of filmmaking in California. ^[8] During the same period of time Rogers made 12 silent movies for Goldwyn, until his contract ended in 1921, he was also making the Illiterate Digest film-strip series for the Gaumont Film Company. Gaumont is a French film production company founded in 1895 by the engineer-turned-inventor Léon Gaumont (1864-1946

While Rogers enjoyed film acting, his appearances in silent movies suffered from the obvious restrictions of silence—not the strongest medium for him, having gained his fame as a commentator on stage. It helped somewhat that he wrote a good many of the title cards appearing in his films. In Motion pictures an intertitle (also known as a title card) is a piece of filmed printed text edited into the midst of (i In 1923, he began a one-year stint for Hal Roach and made 12 pictures. Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr ( January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and He made two other feature silents and a travelogue series in 1927, and did not return to the screen until his time in the 'talkies' began in 1929. A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image as opposed to a Silent film.

From 1929 to 1935, Rogers became the star of the Fox Film lot (now 20th Century Fox). Far from being a "B-Movie" level performer, Rogers appeared in 21 feature films alongside such noted performers as Lew Ayres, Billie Burke, Richard Cromwell, Jane Darwell, Andy Devine, Stepin Fetchit, Janet Gaynor, Rochelle Hudson, Boris Karloff, Myrna Loy, Joel McCrea, Hattie McDaniel, Ray Milland, Maureen O'Sullivan, ZaSu Pitts, Dick Powell, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Mickey Rooney, and Peggy Wood. Lew Ayres ( December 28, 1908 &ndash December 30, 1996) was an American actor Mary William Ethelbert Appleton "Billie" Burke ( August 7, 1884 – May 14, 1970) was an Oscar -nominated American Richard Cromwell, born LeRoy Melvin Radabaugh ( -) was an American actor Jane Darwell ( October 15, 1879 – August 13, 1967) was an Academy Award -winning American Theater and Andrew Vabre "Andy" Devine ( October 7, 1905 - February 18, 1977) was a rotund raspy-voiced American Character actor Stepin Fetchit was the Stage name of American Comedian and Film Actor Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry Janet Gaynor ( October 6, 1906 &ndash September 14, 1984) was an American actress. Rochelle Hudson ( March 6, 1914 (some sources indicate 1916 - January 17, 1972) was an American Film Actress Boris Karloff ( 23 November, &ndash 2 February,) was an English actor who emigrated to Canada in the 1910s Myrna Loy ( August 2, 1905 – December 14, 1993) was an American Motion picture Actress. Joel Albert McCrea, (November 5 &ndashOctober 20) was an American actor and Film star whose career spanned 50 years and appearances in over 90 films Hattie McDaniel ( June 10, 1895 – October 26, 1952) was an American Actress and the first black performer to win an Ray Milland ( January 3, 1907 - March 10, 1986) was a Welsh Actor and director who worked primarily in the Maureen Paula O’Sullivan ( 17 May, 1911 &ndash 23 June, 1998) was an Irish actress considered Ireland ZaSu Pitts ( January 3,  &ndash June 7,) (ˈzeɪsuː ˈpɪts was an American Film Actress who starred in many silent Richard Ewing "Dick" Powell ( November 14, 1904 – January 2, 1963) was an American Singer, Actor, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson ( May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949) was a pre-eminent African-American tap dancer Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr; September 23, 1920) is an American Film Actor and Entertainer whose Peggy Wood ( February 9, 1892 - March 18, 1978) born Mary Margaret Wood, was an Academy Award nominated American He was directed three times by John Ford.

With his voice becoming increasingly familiar to audiences, he was able to basically play himself, without normal makeup, in each film, managing to ad-lib and even work in his familiar commentaries on politics at times. The clean moral tone of his films led to an activity nearly unimaginable today: various public schools taking their classes, during the school day, to attend special showings of some of them. His most unusual role may have been in the first talking version of Mark Twain's novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30 1835 – April 21 1910 better known by the Pen name Mark Twain, was an American Humorist, satirist A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is an 1889 Novel by American Humorist and Writer Mark Twain. His popularity soared to new heights with films including Young As You Feel, Judge Priest, and Life Begins at 40 with Richard Cromwell and Rochelle Hudson. Judge Priest is a 1934 Comedy film directed by John Ford. Cast Will Rogers - Judge William 'Billy' Richard Cromwell, born LeRoy Melvin Radabaugh ( -) was an American actor Rochelle Hudson ( March 6, 1914 (some sources indicate 1916 - January 17, 1972) was an American Film Actress

Traveling the world

Rogers began a weekly column, titled "Slipping the Lariat Over," at the end of 1922. ^[9] He had already published a book of wisecracks and had begun a steady stream of humor books. ^[4] Through the continuing series of columns between 1922 and 1935, as well as in his personal appearances and radio broadcasts, he won the loving admiration of the American people, poking jibes in witty ways at the issues of the day and prominent people—often politicians. He wrote from a non-partisan point of view and became a friend of presidents and a confidant of the great. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by Loved for his cool mind and warm heart, he was often considered the successor to such greats as Artemus Ward and Mark Twain. See also Artemas Ward (disambiguation Charles Farrar Browne, ( April 23, 1834 - March 6, 1867) was a Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30 1835 – April 21 1910 better known by the Pen name Mark Twain, was an American Humorist, satirist

From 1925 to 1928, Rogers traveled the length and breadth of the United States in a "lecture tour". (He began his lectures by pointing out that "A humorist entertains, and a lecturer annoys!") During this time he became the first civilian to fly from coast to coast with pilots flying the mail in early air mail flights. Airmail (or air mail) is Mail that is transported by Aircraft. The National Press Club dubbed him "Ambassador at Large of the United States. The National Press Club is one of the world's leading professional organizations for journalists " He visited Mexico City with Charles Lindbergh as a guest of U. Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout S. Ambassador Dwight Morrow, whose daughter Anne later married Lindbergh. Dwight Whitney Morrow ( January 11, 1873 – October 5, 1931) was an American businessman politician and diplomat Anne Morrow Lindbergh, born Anne Spencer Morrow ( June 22, 1906 &ndash February 7, 2001) was a pioneering American Aviator In subsequent years, Rogers gave numerous after-dinner speeches, became a popular convention speaker, and gave dozens of benefits for victims of floods, droughts, or earthquakes. In 1928 he ran for President of the United States. Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by ^[10] After the Great Depression hit the United States, Rogers gave radio talks on unemployment with former President Calvin Coolidge, President Herbert Hoover, and former presidential candidate Al Smith. John Calvin Coolidge Jr (July 4 1872 January 5 1933 was the thirtieth President of the United States (1923–1929 Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10 1874 &ndash October 20 1964 was the thirty-first President of the United States (1929–1933 Alfred Emanuel Smith Jr, known in private and public life as Al Smith, ( December 30, 1873 - October 4, 1944) was elected Governor

From 1930 to 1935, he made radio broadcasts for the Gulf Oil Company. Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s This weekly Sunday evening show, The Gulf Headliners, ranked among the top radio programs in the country. ^[11] Since he easily rambled from one subject to another, reacting to his studio audience, he often lost track of the half-hour time limit in his earliest broadcasts, and was cut off in mid-sentence. To correct this, he brought in a wind-up alarm clock, and its on-air buzzing alerted him to begin wrapping up his comments. By 1935, his show was being announced as "Will Rogers and his famous Alarm Clock. "

He made a trip to the Orient in 1931 and to Central and South America the following year. The Orient is a term which simply means the " East " It originated in Western Asia to describe that part of the world South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a In 1934, he made a globe-girdling tour and returned to play the lead in Eugene O'Neill's stage play Ah, Wilderness! He had tentatively agreed to go on loan from Fox to MGM to star in the 1935 movie version of the play; however, his concern over a fan's reaction to the 'facts-of-life' talk between his character and its son caused him to decline the role—and that freed his schedule to allow him to fly with Wiley Post that summer. Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16 1888–November 27 1953 was a Nobel -prize winning American playwright Ah Wilderness! is a play by Eugene O'Neill, and has the distinction of being the only true Comedy he would ever write Wiley Hardeman Post ( November 22, 1898 &ndash August 15, 1935) was the first pilot to fly solo around the world He often touted the advantages of flying.

In 1934, Rogers hosted the 6th Annual Academy Awards Ceremony, held at the Fiesta Room of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. The 6th Academy Awards were held on March 16, 1934 at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles California. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. The Ambassador Hotel was a landmark hotel in Los Angeles California and location of the Cocoanut Grove Nightclub. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West At the same time, he also began writing a popular syndicated short item called "Will Rogers Says". Literally a telegram which he composed daily to address each day's news, it often appeared on the front pages of its subscribing papers. In it, he expressed his disappointment with big government and the effect it had on the nation, particularly during the Depression era. Big government (sometimes capitalized as Big Government) is a Pejorative term generally used by political conservatives, Laissez-faire His wit was often caustic: as he explained, "There's no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you. " Nevertheless, he identified with the Democratic Party, saying "I don't belong to any organized party. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. I'm a Democrat," and was a vocal supporter of Franklin D. Roosevelt. At one point, he was even asked to run for governor of Oklahoma, the party hoping to benefit from his immense popularity.

"I never yet met a man that I didn't like"

One of Will Rogers's most famous lines, the "I never yet met a man that I didn't like" quote, was part of a longer quote and it originally referred to Leon Trotsky:

Rogers' "I never yet met a man that I didn't like" (when referenced, the word "yet" is often omitted) became one of his signature quotes, and he often repeated it at his public performances. The Saturday Evening Post was a weekly Magazine published in the United States from August 4, 1821 to February 8, Rogers, however, may have not always lived up to his altruistic quote, according to author William Morris, who in his book the Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins (1988), wrote this story:

Not long before his death, H. Allen Smith, himself one the great humorists of this century, recounted his first meeting with Will Rogers. Harry Allen Smith, December 19, 1907 — February 24, 1976, was an American journalist and humorist whose books were popular in the 1940s Smith was a cub reporter at the time, assigned to cover a rodeo. He and several other young reporters were enjoying a pleasant session of light banter in the press box when it occurred to Smith that it would be interesting if Rogers would join them for a moment or two. So he approached Rogers, saying that they would consider it a great honor if he would visit with them. Rogers's reply was scathing: "Get lost, kid!"

After the 1993 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Baltimore, Maryland, this phrase again achieved prominence. The 1993 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 64th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL and National League There was a rumor that the American League had been warming up 2 pitchers from the Baltimore Orioles at the end of the game, but that American League Manager, Cito Gaston, chose not to insert them into the game. Clarence Edwin "Cito" Gaston (ˈsiɾoʊ̪ ˈɡæstən born March 17, 1944 in San Antonio, Texas) is the manager of the Baltimore fans did not like this perceived snub, and T-shirts were sold outside of Camden Yards that season bearing the phrase, "Will Rogers never met Cito Gaston," referencing the line and showing the dislike Baltimore fans now had for Gaston. The Camden Yards Sports Complex is located in Baltimore Maryland.

Death and legacy

An avid booster of aviation, Rogers undertook a flight around the world with a fellow Oklahoman, world-renowned aviator Wiley Post, in the summer of 1935. Wiley Hardeman Post ( November 22, 1898 &ndash August 15, 1935) was the first pilot to fly solo around the world ^[1] Post's plane, an experimental and nose-heavy hybrid of Lockheed Explorer and Orion, crashed south of Barrow, Alaska, on August 15, 1935 when its engine failed on takeoff, killing both men. The Lockheed Corporation (originally Loughead Aircraft Manufacturing Company was an American aerospace company founded in 1912 which merged with Martin Marietta The Lockheed Explorer was the least successful wooden airplane design produced by the Lockheed Aircraft Company. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Barrow is a city in and the borough seat of the North Slope Borough of the state of Alaska, United States. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

It may be difficult, with the passage of time, to fully comprehend the extraordinary place Rogers held in the minds and hearts of the American people at the time of his death. The outpouring of national grief over Rogers's passing is generally regarded to be the greatest such show of national mourning since the death of Lincoln some seventy years earlier. ^[12]. He was the nation's most widely read newspaper columnist, in the form of his daily "Will Rogers Says" telegrams and in his weekly column; his Sunday night half-hour radio show, The Gulf Headliners, was the nation's most-listened-to weekly broadcast; and he had been the nation's #2 movie box office draw in 1933 (behind Marie Dressler) and #1 in 1934, ranking 2nd at the time of his death in 1935 only to Shirley Temple. A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for Admission to a venue Marie Dressler ( November 9, 1868 – July 28, 1934) was an Academy Award -winning Canadian actress Shirley Jane Temple (born April 23, 1928) is an Academy Award -winning Actress and Tap dancer, most famous for being an iconic

Oklahoma honors

One of Oklahoma's two statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection, housed in the United States Capitol, is of Rogers. The National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol comprises statues donated by individual states to honor persons notable in their history The work was paid for by a state appropriation and was sculpted in clay by Jo Davidson, a close friend of Rogers who he nicknamed the "headhunter" because Davidson was always looking for heads to sculpt, then cast in bronze in Brussels, Belgium. Jo Davidson ( March 30, 1883 &ndash January 2, 1952) was an American sculptor of Russian - Jewish Brussels (Bruxelles pronounced; Brussel pronounced) officially the Brussels Capital-Region, is The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Dedicated on June 6, 1939 before a crowd of more than 2,000 people, the statue faces the floor entrance of the House of Representatives Chamber next to National Statuary Hall. Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. National Statuary Hall is a chamber in the United States Capitol devoted to Sculptures of prominent Americans. The Architect of the Capitol, David Lynn, said there had never been such a large ceremony or crowd in the Capitol. The Architect of the Capitol ( AOC) is the agency responsible for the maintenance operation development and preservation of the United States Capitol Complex ^[1]

Oklahoma leaders asked Rogers to represent the state as one of their two statues in the Capitol, and Rogers agreed on the condition that his image would be placed facing the House Chamber, supposedly so he could "keep an eye on Congress. " Of the statues in this part of the Capitol, the Rogers sculpture is the only one facing the Chamber entrance. According to guides at the Capitol, each President rubs the left shoe of the Rogers statue for good luck before entering the House Chamber to give the State of the Union Address. ^[13]

Oklahoma has named many places and buildings for Rogers. His birthplace is located two miles east of Oologah, Oklahoma. The Dog Iron Ranch, located about two miles east of Oologah Oklahoma, is the historic ranch of humorist Will Rogers. The house itself was moved about ¾ mile (1. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States 2 km) to its present location overlooking its original site when the Verdigris River valley was flooded to create Oologah Lake. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand The Verdigris River is a Tributary of the Arkansas River in southeastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma Lake Oologah is a large man-made Lake in Northeastern Oklahoma. The family tomb is at the Will Rogers Memorial in nearby Claremore, which stands on the site purchased by Rogers in 1911 for his retirement home. In 1944, Rogers's body was moved from a holding vault in California to the tomb; his wife Betty was interred beside him later that year upon her death. A casting of the Davidson sculpture that stands in National Statuary Hall, paid for by Davidson personally, resides at the museum. Both the birthplace and the museum are open to the public.

Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City was named for him, as was the Will Rogers Turnpike, also known as the section of Interstate 44 between Tulsa and Joplin, Missouri. Will Rogers World Airport is located in southwestern Oklahoma City Oklahoma. Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the US state of Oklahoma. The Will Rogers Turnpike runs from Tulsa, Oklahoma to the Missouri state line Interstate 44 (I-44 is an Interstate highway in the central United States. Joplin is a city in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of the U Near Vinita, Oklahoma, a statue of Rogers stands outside the west anchor of the McDonald's that spans both lanes of the interstate. Vinita is a city in south-central Craig County, Oklahoma, United States. Self-billed as the "World's Largest" the 29135 Ft² McDonald's that spans the Will Rogers Turnpike of I-44 near Vinita Oklahoma A recent expansion and renovation of the Will Rogers World Airport includes a statue of Will Rogers on horseback in front of the terminal.

There are 13 public schools in Oklahoma named Will Rogers, including Will Rogers High School in Tulsa. Will Rogers High School, located on 3909 E 5th Place in Tulsa Oklahoma, was built by Tulsa Public Schools in 1939 and designed by Joseph R The University of Oklahoma named the large Will Rogers Cafeteria in the student union for him, as did the Boy Scouts of America with the Will Rogers Council and the Will Rogers Scout Reservation near Cleveland. University of Oklahoma, abbreviated OU, is a Coeducational public Research university located in the U The Oklahoma Memorial Union (OMU is the University of Oklahoma 's student union or Student activity center. The Boy Scouts of America ( BSA) is the largest youth organization in the United States with over five million Scouting in Oklahoma has a long history from the 1910s to the present day serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live Cleveland is a city in Pawnee County, Oklahoma, United States.

California memorials

Rogers's home, stables, and polo fields are preserved today for public enjoyment as Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades. Will Rogers State Historic Park is the former estate of American humorist Will Rogers. Pacific Palisades is a district within the US city of Los Angeles California, located between Brentwood to the east Malibu to the west His widow, Betty, willed the property to the state of California upon her death in 1944. Will Rogers Elementary School in Santa Monica is named for Rogers, as is the United States Navy submarine USS Will Rogers. A small park on Sunset Drive and Beverly in Beverly Hills was named Will Rogers Park after him. Also, a beach in Malibu was named Will Rogers Beach in his honor.

U.S. Route 66 is known as the Will Rogers Highway; a plaque dedicating the highway to the humorist is located opposite the western terminus of Route 66 in Santa Monica. US Route 66 (also known as the Will Rogers Highway after the humorist, and colloquially known as the "Main Street of America" or the "Mother

National tributes

A casting of "Into the Sunset," a statue of Rogers riding his horse Soapsuds, stands on the campus of Texas Tech University. Texas Tech University is a public, coeducational research university in Lubbock Texas.

Rogers's eldest son, Bill, starred as his father in the 1948 biopic The Will Rogers Story. Rogers also came to life for modern audiences in the Tony Award-winning musical The Will Rogers Follies, with Keith Carradine in the lead role, and he was also portrayed by James Whitmore in the one-man show Will Rogers U. The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American Theatre and are presented Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. The Will Rogers Follies is a Tony Award -winning musical with a book by Peter Stone, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green Keith Ian Carradine (born August 8, 1949) is an American Academy Award -winning Actor and Songwriter, born into a family James Allen Whitmore Jr (born October 1, 1921) is an American two-time Academy Award -nominated Emmy - and Golden Globe S. A.

On November 4, 1948, the United States Post Office commemorated Rogers with a first day cover of a 3-cent stamp with his image—the inscription reads, "In honor of Will Rogers, Humorist, Claremore, Oklahoma. Events 1333 - Flood of the Arno River, causing massive damage in Florence as recorded by the Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Post Office Department is the former name of the United States Postal Service when it was a Cabinet department " He was also later honored on the centennial of his birth, in 1979, with the issue of a United States Postal Service 15-cent stamp as part of the "Performing Arts" series.

The Will Rogers Memorial Center was built in Fort Worth, Texas in 1936. Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas and the seventeenth-largest city in the United States. A mural of Rogers on his horse, Soapsuds, hangs in the lobby of the coliseum, and a bust of Rogers sits in the rotunda of the Landmark Pioneer Tower. A life-size statue of Rogers on Soapsuds, titled Into the Sunset and sculpted by Electra Waggoner Biggs, resides on the lawn. A casting of Into the Sunset stands in the entrance to the main campus quad at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech University is a public, coeducational research university in Lubbock Texas. This memorial was dedicated on February 16, 1950 by longtime friend of Rogers, Amon G. Carter. Carter believed Texas Tech was the perfect setting for the statue and that it would fit into the traditions and scenery of West Texas.

The statue stands at 9'11" tall and weighs 3,200 pounds; its estimated cost was $25,000. On the base of the statue, the inscription reads "Lovable Old Will Rogers on his favorite horse, 'Soapsuds,' riding into the Western sunset. "

Today Texas Tech tradition and legends surrounds the statue. According to one legend, the plan to face Will Rogers so that he could be riding off into the sunset did not work out as it would cause Soapsuds' rear to be facing downtown. To solve this problem, the horse and Will was turned 23 degrees to the east so the horse's posterior was facing in the direction of Texas A&M, one of the school's rivals.

Before every home football game the Saddle Tramps wrap Old Will with red crepe paper. Will Rogers and Soapsuds have also been wrapped up in black crepe paper to mourn national tragedies.

A third casting resides at the Will Rogers Memorial in Claremore.

The Barrow, Alaska airport (BRW), located about 16 miles (26 km) from the location of their fatal airplane crash, is known as the Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Airport.

Filmography

Silent films

• Laughing Bill Hyde (1918)
• Almost A Husband (1919)
• Jubilo (1919)
• Water, Water Everywhere (1919)
• The Strange Boarder (1920)
• Jes' Call Me Jim (1920)
• Cupid The Cowpuncher (1920)
• Honest Hutch (1920)
• Guile Of Women (1920)
• Boys Will Be Boys (1921)
• An Unwilling Hero (1921)
• Doubling For Romeo (1921
• A Poor Relation (1921)
• The Illiterate Digest (1920)
• One Glorious Day (1922)
• The Headless Horseman (1922)
• The Ropin' Fool (1922
• Fruits Of Faith (1922)
• One Day in 365 (1922) (unreleased)
• Hollywood (1923)
• Hustling Hank (1923)
• Two Wagons Both Covered (1923)
• Jes' assin' Through (1923)
• Uncensored Movies (1923)
• The Cake Eater (1924)
• The Cowboy Sheik (1924)
• Big Moments From Little Pictures (1924)
• High Brow Stuff (1924)
• Going to Congress (1924)
• Don't Park There(1924)
• Jubilo Jr. (1924) (part of the Our Gang series)
• Our Congressman (1924)
• A Truthful Liar (1924)
• Gee Whiz Genevieve (1924)
• Tip Toes (1927)
• A Texas Steer (1927)

Travelog Series

• In Dublin (1927)
• In Paris (1927)
• Hiking Through Holland (1927)
• Roaming The Emerald Isle (1927)
• Through Switzerland And Bavaria (1927)
• In London (1927)
• Hunting For Germans In Berlin (1927)
• Prowling Around France (1927)
• Winging Round Europe (1927)
• Exploring England (1927)
• Reeling Down The Rhine (1927)
• Over The Bounding Blue (1928)

Sound films

• They Had To See Paris (1929)
• Happy Days (1929)
• So This Is London (1930)
• Lightnin' (1930)
• Young As You Feel (1930)
• Ambassador Bill (1930)
• Business and Pleasure (1930)
• A Connecticut Yankee (1931)
• Down To Earth (1932)
• Too Busy To Work (1932)
• State Fair (1933)
• Doctor Bull (1933)
• Mr. "The Little Rascals" redirects here For other uses see The Little Rascals (disambiguation. Happy Days ( 1929) is an 80 minute Musical film, notable for being the first movie shown entirely in Widescreen anywhere in the world Business and Pleasure is a 1932 Comedy film directed by David Butler, starring Will Rogers and featuring Boris Karloff State Fair ( 1933) is a movie directed by Henry King and starring Janet Gaynor, Will Rogers, and Lew Ayres. Doctor Bull is a 1933 Comedy film directed by John Ford. Cast Will Rogers - Dr Skitch (1933)
• David Harum (1934)
• Handy Andy (1934)
• Judge Priest (1934)
• The County Chairman
• Life Begins At Forty (1935)
• Doubting Thomas (1935)
• Steamboat Round the Bend (1935)
• In Old Kentucky (1935)

Bibliography

• Rogers, Will [1924] (1975). Judge Priest is a 1934 Comedy film directed by John Ford. Cast Will Rogers - Judge William 'Billy' Steamboat Round the Bend is a 1935 Comedy film directed by John Ford. in Joseph A. Stout, Jr. : Rogers-isms: The Cowboy Philosopher On Prohibition. Stillwater: Oklahoma State University Press. ISBN 091495606X.  
• Rogers, Will [1924] (March 2003). Illiterate Digest. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 978-0766143210.  
• Rogers, Will [1926] (1977). in Joseph A. Stout: Letters Of A Self-Made Diplomat To His President. Stillwater: Oklahoma State University Press. ISBN 0914956094.  
• Rogers, Will (December 1982). in Steven K. Gragert: More letters of a self-made diplomat. Stillwater: Oklahoma State University Press. ISBN 9780914956228.  
• Rogers, Will (1927). There's Not A Bathing Suit In Russia.  
• Rogers, Will [1928] (1982). "He chews to run": Will Rogers's Life magazine articles, 1928. Stillwater: Oklahoma State University Press. ISBN 0914956205.  
• Rogers, Will (1983). in Steven K. Gragert: Radio Broadcasts of Will Rogers. Stillwater: Oklahoma State University Press. ISBN 0914956248.  
• The Papers of Will Rogers
  • Rogers, Will (February 1996). in Steven K. Gragert and M. Jane Johansson: The Papers of Will Rogers: The Early Years : November 1879-April 1904. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0806127453.  
  • Rogers, Will (September 2000). in Steven K. Gragert and M. Jane Johansson, eds. : Papers of Will Rogers : Wild West and Vaudeville, April 1904-September 1908, Volume Two. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0806132679.  
  • Rogers, Will (2005-09-28). in Steven K. Gragert and M. Jane Johansson: The Papers of Will Rogers: From Broadway to the National Stage, September 1915 – July 1928. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0806137049.  
  • Rogers, Will (2005-09-28). in Steven K. Gragert and M. Jane Johansson: The Papers of Will Rogers: From Broadway to the National Stage, September 1915 – July 1928. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0806137049.  
  • Rogers, Will (2006-10-31). in Steven K. Gragert and M. Jane Johansson: The Papers of Will Rogers: The Final Years, August 1928 – August 1935. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0806137681.  

See also

• Will Rogers phenomenon
• Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun

Further reading

• Yagoda, Ben (April 2000). The Will Rogers phenomenon is obtained when moving an element from one set to another set raises the Average values of both sets Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun is the Tomb which holds the ashes of Spencer Penrose (1865-1939 a philanthropist who contributed many of the most prominent landmarks Will Rogers: A Biography. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0806132389.  

References

External links

• Will Rogers at the Internet Movie Database
• The Official Site of Will Rogers
• Will Rogers Birthplace
• Will Rogers Museums
• Will Rogers State Historic Park
• Will Rogers World Airport
• Will Rogers in 3 excerpts from 1935 broadcasts
• Will Rogers Institute