Will rogers why is he famous

Four children died while three older sisters inspired young Will. Ranch families were eager to help a bright young boy become a sensitive adult and form a meaningful life. It was a meeting place for commerce, government and community socials. There was sadness with funerals, but gaiety with parties, weddings and christenings. When not learning on his mother's lap, Will Rogers was on the range as a hard-working cowboy.

Taught by a freed slave how to use a lasso as a tool to work Texas Longhorn cattle on the family ranch, Will Rogers mastered the lariat for trick roping on stages of the world. From living among Indians and blacks, he carried lessons of brotherhood that came from understanding the pride of minorities.

Hard-earned lariat skills won Will Rogers employment as a trick roper in wild west shows and on the vaudeville stage. His lessons of life, visions of humanity and kind spirit were formed into wit, jokes and observations that bespoke great human dimensions.

Humor and folksy observations by Will Rogers were prized by audiences around the world. His simple language and country roots appealed to audiences, who saw him as one of their own. Throughout his career, Will starred in 71 films and several Broadway productions. In , he was voted the most popular male actor in Hollywood. He wrote 4, syndicated columns and six books, becoming a prominent radio broadcaster and political commentator. Eventually, Will roped in some nominations of his own.

He declined a nomination to be governor of Oklahoma and became honorary mayor of Beverly Hills in As a result of his status as a nationally beloved figure and powerful political pundit, Will also came to know many world leaders.

He performed for then president Woodrow Wilson in ; later that year, he joined a folly show as an emcee and a comedian. Rogers made a movie in , and in , he moved with his family to California to make movies under a contract with Goldwyn Studios. In , he began making movies with sound under a contract with Fox studios, and he did radio broadcasts as well. By , Rogers was the highest paid actor in Hollywood. Tragically, in , Rogers was killed in an airplane crash.

Will Rogers Library of Congress. Wild West Will Rogers.