Fred Rogers

Fred Rogers was an American television host and ordained Presbyterian minister.

Fast Facts

1. Birth name: Fred McFeely Rogers
2. Birth date: March 20, 1928
3. Birthplace: Latrobe, Pennsylvania
4. Died: February 28, 2003
5. Spouse: Sara Joanne Byrd
6. Children: James and John
7. Debut movie/TV show: The Children's Corner

Career

Rogers became interested in television because he "hated it" upon watching it for the first time. With the desire to broadcast nurturing messages for children, he worked as a puppeteer on The Children's Corner in Pittsburgh where he first debuted his soon-to-be signature characters King Friday XIII and X the Owl.

In 1963, Rogers became the host of his own program, Mister Rogers (produced in Toronto) - a show that marked the debut of the Neighborhood Trolley and an early set of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. The show moved back to Pittsburgh in 1966 and appeared on PBS two years later as Mister Rogers Neighborhood. It has since become the longest running program on the network.

Known for his kind, gentle demeanor, Rogers became an advocate for children's education and development, often speaking on behalf of PBS and other nonprofit organizations that help children. He has been credited with "saving public television" by using his influence to lobby Congress for continued funding.

Rogers died of stomach cancer in 2003.

Notable Works

Rogers recorded 998 episodes of Mister Rogers Neighborhood from 1968 to 2001. It is still shown in syndication on PBS.

Always wearing his signature sweater and blue sneakers, Rogers spoke slowly and directly to the camera, exploring areas of concern by using music and puppets in the Neighborhood of Make Believe.

The show focused primarily on the behavioral development of children, encouraging them to be respectful, patient, and unafraid to express their feelings.

At the end of every episode, he always reminded his viewers that "there's no person in the whole world like you. And I like you just the way you are."

Quotes

• "If only you could sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person."

• "I feel that if we in public television can only make it clear that feelings are mentionable and manageable, we will have done a great service."

• "When I say it's you I like, I'm talking about that part of you that knows that life is far more than anything you can ever see or hear or touch. That deep part of you that allows you to stand for those things without which humankind cannot survive."

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