Will Rogers
William Penn Adair “Will” Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was a Cherokee-American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer and actor.
Will Rogers | |
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Will Rogers | |
| Born | William Penn Adair Rogers November 4, 1879 |
| Died | August 15, 1935 (aged 55) |
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| Spouse(s) | Betty Blake |
| Children | William Vann "Bill" Mary Amelia James Blake Fred Stone |
Known as Oklahoma's favorite son,[1] Rogers was born to a well off 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. During his life he 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] making him a world-famous figure. Also,Will Rogers Family has a County named after them in Oklahoma. It currently has 8 cities within its borders.The cities within the borders of the Roger's County are named Catcosa, Chelsea, Claremore, Foyil, Inola, Oologah, Talala, Verdigris. The county was officially founded prior to statehood on January 26, 1907 and was originally named Cooweescoowee. However, residents protested the name and the county was renamed Rogers after Clement (Clem) Vann Rogers, a mixed heritage Cherokee rancher and father of Will Rogers. Rogers County consists of a total area of 711 square miles - 675 square miles is land, and 36 square miles is water.
By the mid-1930s, Rogers was loved by the American people, and was the highest-paid movie star in Hollywood at the time. During an around-the-world trip with pilot Wiley Post, Rogers died when their small airplane crashed near Barrow, Alaska Territory in 1935.
Will Rogers Media
Will Rogers caricature on a print advertisement for the film Down to Earth, from The Film Daily, 1932
The White House on the Verdigris River, Will Rogers' birthplace, near Oologah, Oklahoma
Photograph by Underwood & Underwood, unknown date
Rogers (right) with Seattle Mayor Charles L. Smith about 1935
Rogers on the wing of a Lockheed floatplane belonging to famed aviation pioneer Wiley Post, hours before their fatal crash on August 15, 1935
WPA poster, 1941
Citations
- ↑ Curtis, Gene (2007-06-05). "Only in Oklahoma: Rogers statue unveiling filled U.S. Capitol". Tulsa World. http://www.tulsaworld.com/webextra/itemsofinterest/centennial/centennial_storypage.asp?ID=070605_1_A4_cpRog15817. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
- ↑ Rogers State University (2007-04-18). "RSU and Will Rogers Museum to Discuss Possible Merger". Press release. Archived from the original on 2007-11-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20071107065122/http://www.rsu.edu/news/2007/04-18_willrogersmuseum.html. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
- ↑ Schlachtenhaufen, Mark (May 31, 2007). "Will Rogers grandson carries on tradition of family service". OkInsider.com. Oklahoma Publishing Company. Retrieved July 21, 2007.