One of the most enduring figures of the 1930s was Will Rogers.
Who was Will Rogers?
What did he become famous for?
Will Rogers was born in 1879 in Indian Territory, near present-day Oologah, Oklahoma.
His parents were both part Cherokee.
He was the youngest of eight children, but only three of his siblings survived into adulthood.
In 1901, Rogers heard that there was money to be made in Argentina.
So, he and a friend headed out in search of their fortunes.
When they arrived in Argentina, they discovered that the money they dreamed of was a myth.
So, his friend went back to Oklahoma, but Will stayed.
From there, he got a job on a boat that was headed for South Africa.
In South Africa, he went to work on a ranch and was eventually hired by Texas Jack’s
Wild West Show.
He appeared in the shows as “The Cherokee Kid” and became famous for performing rope
tricks.
He toured South Africa with the Wild West Show
until he was hired by a circus that took him to Australia and New
Zealand.
In 1904, he returned to the United States and started performing vaudeville in New York
City.
Vaudeville was a form of variety show which usually featured singers, dancers, jugglers,
comedians, and other performers.
Rogers performed his tricks and told jokes to the audience as he twirled his rope.
The sophisticated New York audiences loved Will’s country accent.
He also had a natural sense of humor that crowds appreciated.
Rogers would often open each show by saying, “All I know is what I read in the papers”.
He would then joke about current events and poke fun at political figures of the era.
By 1916, he was the star of the biggest show in New York, the Ziegfeld Follies.
He also began acting in silent films, which only increased his celebrity status.
In his films, he sometimes portrayed cowboys, or perhaps comedic characters similar to himself.
He continued acting in films up through 1935, eventually starring in over fifty movies.
Rogers also started writing weekly newspaper columns in 1926.
Over the course of his writing career, Will wrote more than 4,000 columns which were syndicated
in newspapers all over the world.
Additionally, he hosted a weekly radio program in which he told jokes and discussed many
different issues that were relevant to people of that time period.
One of Will’s favorite topics was the advancement of commercial aviation.
He believed that airplanes were the future of travel, and he spoke about the subject
frequently.
He flew to every destination he could in an effort to prove how safe traveling by plane
could be.
It was this love of aviation which eventually caused his death.
In 1935, he embarked on a journey with his good friend Wiley Post (a pilot who had become
famous for flying around the world).
The two were attempting to fly over the Bering Strait from Alaska to Russia.
Somewhere over Alaska, their motor stalled and the plane crashed, killing both men.
Will Rogers’ death was mourned by the entire nation.
Kings and presidents from foreign nations even expressed their regrets at his passing.
Today, Will Rogers is remembered as an American legend.
Buildings, streets, and even an airport have been named in his honor.
There is also a statue of him standing in the U.S. Capital Building.