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 | |
|---|---|
 Will Rogers | |
| Born | William Penn Adair Rogers November 4, 1879 |
| Died | August 15, 1935 (aged 55) Point Barrow, Alaska Territory |
| Occupation(s) | actor, comic, columnist, radio personality |
| Spouse | Betty (1908–1944) |
| 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.
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.
Citations
- Curtis, Gene (June 5, 2007). "Only in Oklahoma: Rogers statue unveiling filled U.S. Capitol". Tulsa World. Archived from the original on December 10, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2007.
- "RSU and Will Rogers Museum to Discuss Possible Merger" (Press release). Rogers State University. April 18, 2007. Archived from the original on November 7, 2007. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
- Schlachtenhaufen, Mark (May 31, 2007). "Will Rogers grandson carries on tradition of family service". OkInsider.com. Oklahoma Publishing Company. Retrieved July 21, 2007.