Okla-homey
11/4/2009, 07:53 AM
November 4, 1879: The Greatest Okie Will Rogers is born
http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/6919/zzrogstamp3wf.jpg
130 years ago, on this day in 1879, the cowboy philosopher and humorist Will Rogers, one of the most beloved entertainers of the early 20th century, is born on the family farm near Oolagah, just a tad northeast of Tulsa in the Oklahoma county now named for him. At his birth, the Rogers farm was within the Cherokee assigns in Indian Territory.
The son of a respected mixed-blood Cherokee couple, William Penn Adair Rogers grew up riding and roping in Oklahoma's Green Country. An indifferent student, he earned only average grades in school, but he was by no means the ill-educated common man that he pretended to be.
http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/5457/zzrogerspoloportraitpologear40.jpg
Rogers loved polo and was a superb player
He was, in fact, highly literate and well read. In 1898, he left his family ranch to work as a texass cowboy, and then traveled to Argentina where he spent a few months as a gaucho. But Rogers discovered his real talent when he joined Texas Jack's Wild West Show in 1902 as a trick roper and rider under the stage name "The Cherokee Kid."
For all his skill with ropes and horses, Rogers soon realized that audiences most enjoyed his impromptu jokes and witty remarks. Eventually, Rogers began to focus on making humorous comments on world events and created a popular vaudeville act with which he traveled the country.
http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/2798/zzrogstage5ry.jpg
Roger's performing with the Ziegfield Follies
In 1919, Rogers' first book, The Peace Conference, was published. In the 1920s, he achieved national fame with a series of movie appearances, radio shows, lecture tours, magazine articles, and regular newspapers columns.
Amazingly prolific, Rogers eventually wrote seven books, an autobiography, almost 3,000 short commentaries called "daily telegrams," more than 1,000 newspaper articles, and 58 magazine articles.
Classic Roger's One-liners
On politicians...There’s no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you.
On reputation...Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.
On investing...Buy land. They ain’t making any more of the stuff.
On consumerism...Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.
On ignorance....Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects.
On silence...Never miss a good chance to shut up.
On motivation...Why not go out on a limb? That’s where the fruit is.
Rogers' warm, folksy manner and penetrating wit were hugely popular during the Depression of the 1930's, and his concern for the welfare of average folks was genuine. He contributed frequent charitable performances in support of the victims of floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes worldwide.
http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/7436/zzrogers0qy.jpg
Will is half of Oklahoma's contribution to the National Statuary Hall collection. Sequoyah is the other. The National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol is comprised of statues donated by individual states to honor persons notable in their history. The entire collection now consists of 100 statues contributed by 50 states. All fifty states have contributed two statues each.
Rogers was so admired and respected back home that he was repeatedly offered the Democratic nomination for Governor of Oklahoma on a platter. This was back in the day when well over 80% of Okies voted Dem and winning that party's nomination was the practical equivalent of being appointed to the office. Will declined because he felt he had more important work helping bring the plight of the poor and downtrodden to the attention of the glitterati who could help them.
http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/7323/zzzmemor4lg.jpg
On August 15, 1935, Rogers was on a flight to Asia via the North Pole with the famous one-eyed Okie pilot Wiley Post(first man to circumnavigate the Earth solo in an aeroplane thankyouverymuch) when Post's aircraft developed engine trouble and crashed near Point Barrow, Alaska. The crash killed both men. Rogers was only 55.
http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/7690/zzwill20rogerszz20mem20barrow2.jpg
Rogers-Post monument at the Alaskan crash site
Most entertainment and popular culture experts agree, Will Rogers was the most universally popular American of the first half of the twentieth century --and he was an Okie!
http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/6900/zzwrog6lo.jpg
Hat's off for Will today folks. Be nice to someone in his memory. Remember his most favorite tagline: "I never met a man I didn't like." -- BTW, I got a cousin who should wear that on a t-shirt. We're definitely putting it on her tombstone if we outlive her. :D
http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/8805/insane7zo0st.jpg
http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/6919/zzrogstamp3wf.jpg
130 years ago, on this day in 1879, the cowboy philosopher and humorist Will Rogers, one of the most beloved entertainers of the early 20th century, is born on the family farm near Oolagah, just a tad northeast of Tulsa in the Oklahoma county now named for him. At his birth, the Rogers farm was within the Cherokee assigns in Indian Territory.
The son of a respected mixed-blood Cherokee couple, William Penn Adair Rogers grew up riding and roping in Oklahoma's Green Country. An indifferent student, he earned only average grades in school, but he was by no means the ill-educated common man that he pretended to be.
http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/5457/zzrogerspoloportraitpologear40.jpg
Rogers loved polo and was a superb player
He was, in fact, highly literate and well read. In 1898, he left his family ranch to work as a texass cowboy, and then traveled to Argentina where he spent a few months as a gaucho. But Rogers discovered his real talent when he joined Texas Jack's Wild West Show in 1902 as a trick roper and rider under the stage name "The Cherokee Kid."
For all his skill with ropes and horses, Rogers soon realized that audiences most enjoyed his impromptu jokes and witty remarks. Eventually, Rogers began to focus on making humorous comments on world events and created a popular vaudeville act with which he traveled the country.
http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/2798/zzrogstage5ry.jpg
Roger's performing with the Ziegfield Follies
In 1919, Rogers' first book, The Peace Conference, was published. In the 1920s, he achieved national fame with a series of movie appearances, radio shows, lecture tours, magazine articles, and regular newspapers columns.
Amazingly prolific, Rogers eventually wrote seven books, an autobiography, almost 3,000 short commentaries called "daily telegrams," more than 1,000 newspaper articles, and 58 magazine articles.
Classic Roger's One-liners
On politicians...There’s no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you.
On reputation...Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.
On investing...Buy land. They ain’t making any more of the stuff.
On consumerism...Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.
On ignorance....Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects.
On silence...Never miss a good chance to shut up.
On motivation...Why not go out on a limb? That’s where the fruit is.
Rogers' warm, folksy manner and penetrating wit were hugely popular during the Depression of the 1930's, and his concern for the welfare of average folks was genuine. He contributed frequent charitable performances in support of the victims of floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes worldwide.
http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/7436/zzrogers0qy.jpg
Will is half of Oklahoma's contribution to the National Statuary Hall collection. Sequoyah is the other. The National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol is comprised of statues donated by individual states to honor persons notable in their history. The entire collection now consists of 100 statues contributed by 50 states. All fifty states have contributed two statues each.
Rogers was so admired and respected back home that he was repeatedly offered the Democratic nomination for Governor of Oklahoma on a platter. This was back in the day when well over 80% of Okies voted Dem and winning that party's nomination was the practical equivalent of being appointed to the office. Will declined because he felt he had more important work helping bring the plight of the poor and downtrodden to the attention of the glitterati who could help them.
http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/7323/zzzmemor4lg.jpg
On August 15, 1935, Rogers was on a flight to Asia via the North Pole with the famous one-eyed Okie pilot Wiley Post(first man to circumnavigate the Earth solo in an aeroplane thankyouverymuch) when Post's aircraft developed engine trouble and crashed near Point Barrow, Alaska. The crash killed both men. Rogers was only 55.
http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/7690/zzwill20rogerszz20mem20barrow2.jpg
Rogers-Post monument at the Alaskan crash site
Most entertainment and popular culture experts agree, Will Rogers was the most universally popular American of the first half of the twentieth century --and he was an Okie!
http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/6900/zzwrog6lo.jpg
Hat's off for Will today folks. Be nice to someone in his memory. Remember his most favorite tagline: "I never met a man I didn't like." -- BTW, I got a cousin who should wear that on a t-shirt. We're definitely putting it on her tombstone if we outlive her. :D
http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/8805/insane7zo0st.jpg