Fred McFeely Rogers was born March 20,1928 in
Latrobe, Pennsylvania, 40 miles east of Pittsburgh. He studied
music composition in college (he was a Rollins College graduate
Class of ’51),-- which helped him write songs for his show
later -- and, in the 1950s, he worked as a puppeteer for
"The Children's Corner."
Rogers met his wife of 50 years, Joanne (Class of ’50), when
they were both music majors at Rollins. In 1991, the Winter Park
college laid a stone in his honor in its Walk of Fame, right
outside the house where he lived as a student.
Rogers began developing his ideas for children's
programming in the 1950s. He is best known for "Mister
Rogers' Neighborhood," which began in its early form in
1963 as a show on the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
In 1963, he was ordained a Presbyterian minister with a
charge to continue his work with children and families through
television.
Rogers took the idea to the United States and in 1967, the
first "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" aired on
Pittsburgh's WQED. A year later, PBS picked it up. His program,
was produced from 1968 to 2000 at WQED, the Pittsburgh public
television station. The last first-run episode of Mister
Rogers’ Neighborhood was made in December 2000, but didn’t
air until August 2001.
"Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" won dozens of
awards, including four Emmys. A cardigan sweater belonging to
Rogers hangs in the Smithsonian. In 2002, President George W.
Bush presented Rogers with the Presidential Medal of Freedom,
the nation's highest civilian honor, recognizing his
contribution to the well-being of children and a career in
public television that demonstrated the importance of kindness,
compassion and learning.
Through it all, he maintained his down-to-earth, easygoing
nature. "I have really never considered myself a TV
star," he said in a 1995 interview. "I always thought
I was a neighbor who just came in for a visit."
Rogers made his last public appearance on January 1, 2003,
when he served as a Grand Marshal of the Tournament of Roses
Parade, and tossed the coin for the Rose Bowl Game.
Fred Rogers is survived by his wife Joanne Rogers, their
two sons and two grandsons, and millions of grateful neighbors-
Thank
you Mr. Rogers.
There's a place on PBS Kids website where you or your
children can share your thoughts about Fred Rogers at http://pbskids.org/rogers/all_ages/yourturn3.htm
Click to Visit Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood
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