November 4: Birthday of Will Rogers (1879)
Prayer Idea
Pray for people who help others think (and laugh) about the news.
History Note
Will Rogers was born into a Cherokee family in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) in 1879. He was the eighth and youngest child of Clement and Mary Rogers. His mother died when Will was ten.
Will grew up on his family’s ranch and attended boarding schools. His family was prosperous enough that he was able to attend the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
Leaving school at age 17, Rogers began working on ranches. He became a skilled rider and roper who performed with wild west and vaudeville shows.
In 1908 Rogers married Betty Blake. Their family eventually settled in California, where Rogers became a star in the growing movie industry. He appeared in 71 films during his career. Rogers also became well-known as an author and speaker, famous for his humorous observations on current events.
Rogers and his friend Wiley Post took a trip to Alaska in 1935, planning to fly around the world. Their plane crashed on August 15, killing both of them.
Here is a quotation from Will Rogers about the presidential election between Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt, published in one of his Daily Telegram messages on November 7, 1932:
There is only one redeeming thing about this whole election. It will be over at sundown, and let everybody pray that it’s not a tie, for we couldn’t go through with this thing again. And, when the votes are counted, let everybody, including the candidates, get into a good humor as quick as they got into a bad one. Both gangs have been bad sports, so see if at least one can’t redeem themselves by offering no alibis, but cooperate with the winner, for no matter which one it is the poor fellow is going to need it. So cheer up. Let’s all be friends again. One of the evils of democracy is you have to put up with the man you elect whether you want him or not. That’s why we call it democracy.
During Harry Truman’s 1949 inaugural parade, Oklahoma’s float honored Will Rogers. Photo courtesy the National Archives.
Learn More
This brief video reveals a connection between Will Rogers an a major event in 1912.
Find more resources at Homeschool History.
