Fred Rogers
Born	March 20, 1928 Latrobe, Pennsylvania
Died	February 27, 2003 (aged 74) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Reverend Frederick McFeely Rogers (March 20, 1928 – February 27, 2003) was an American educator, minister, songwriter and television host. Rogers was the host of the internationally acclaimed children's television show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, in production from 1968 to 2001. As Mister Rogers, he became an iconic presence to millions of viewers. Rogers was also an ordained Presbyterian minister. Throughout his life, he was a tireless advocate for the education and welfare of children. The text below is generated by a template, which has been proposed for deletion. ... March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in leap years). ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ... Latrobe is a city located in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. ... February 27 is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Steel City, Iron City, Steel Town, City of Champions, City of Bridges, City of Colleges, The Burgh Motto: Benigno Numine (With the Benevolent Deity) Location in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Allegheny County Founded November 25, 1758 Government  - Mayor Luke Ravenstahl (D) Area  - City... March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in leap years). ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ... February 27 is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In most Protestant churches, a minister is a member of the ordained clergy who leads a congregation; such a person may also be called a Pastor, Preacher, or Elder. ... Mister Rogers Neighborhood or MisteRogers is an American childrens television series that was created and hosted by Fred Rogers. ... Catholic deacon candidates prostrate before the altar of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles during a 2004 diaconate ordination liturgy Holy Orders in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Assyrian, Old Catholic, and Independent Catholic churches includes three orders: bishop, priest, and deacon. ... Emblem of the PC(USA) The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) or PC(USA) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. ... In most Protestant churches, a minister is a member of the ordained clergy who leads a congregation or participates in a role in a parachurch ministry; such a person may also be called a Pastor, Preacher, Bishop, Chaplain or Elder. ...

Personal life

Rogers was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, a town located 40 miles (65 km) southeast of Pittsburgh. He was born to James and Nancy Rogers; he spent many years as an only child, which shaped his creativity and imagination. He spent much of his free time as a child with his grandfather, Fred McFeely, and had an interest in puppetry and in music. Latrobe is a city located in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. ... Official language(s) English, Pennsylvania Dutch Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 280 miles (455 km)  - Length 160 miles (255 km)  - % water 2. ... Nickname: Steel City, Iron City, Steel Town, City of Champions, City of Bridges, City of Colleges, The Burgh Motto: Benigno Numine (With the Benevolent Deity) Location in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Allegheny County Founded November 25, 1758 Government  - Mayor Luke Ravenstahl (D) Area  - City...

When Rogers was 11, his parents adopted a daughter, Elaine. His parents also acted as foster parents to a black teenager named George; George's mother had died, and he came to live with the Rogers family. Rogers eventually came to consider George his older brother. George later became an instructor for the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II and also taught Rogers to fly.^[1] An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... Pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group, Tuskegee Airmen, the elite, all-African American 332nd Fighter Group at Ramitelli, Italy. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Following secondary school, he studied at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire between 1946 and 1948 before transferring to Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. He received a BA in music composition there in 1951. Secondary school is a term used to describe an institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling, known as secondary education, takes place. ... Dartmouth College is a private, coeducational university located in Hanover, New Hampshire, in the United States. ... Hanover is a town located on the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Concord Largest city Manchester Area  Ranked 46th  - Total 9,359 sq mi (24,239 km²)  - Width 68 miles (110 km)  - Length 190 miles (305 km)  - % water 3. ... Rollins College is an institution of higher learning located in Winter Park, Florida. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... Bachelor of Arts (B.A., BA or A.B.), from the Latin Artium Baccalaureus is an undergraduate bachelors degree awarded for either a course or a program in the liberal arts or the sciences, or both. ...

At Rollins, Rogers met his wife, Sara Joanne Byrd, whom he married in 1952. They had two sons, James (born in 1959) and John (born in 1961).

Television career

Rogers had a life-changing moment when he first saw television in his parents' home. He had planned to enter seminary after college, but had been diverted into television after his first experience as a viewer; he wanted to explore what the medium was capable of. "I went into television because I hated it so. And I thought there was some way of using this fabulous instrument to be of nurture to those who would watch and listen." A seminary or theological college is a specialized and often live-in higher education institution for the purpose of instructing students (seminarians) in philosophy, theology, spirituality and the religious life, usually in order to prepare them to become members of the clergy. ...

He thus applied for a job at NBC in New York and was accepted because of his music degree. Rogers moved to New York in 1951 and spent three years working in the production staff for music-centered programming such as NBC Opera Theater. He also worked on Gabby Hayes' show for children. Ultimately, however, while he did want to remain in children's television, Rogers decided that commercial television's reliance on advertisement and merchandising undermined its ability to educate or enrich young audiences, and quit NBC. NBC (an acronym for National Broadcasting Company) is an American television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... NY redirects here. ... George Francis Gabby Hayes (May 7, 1885–February 9, 1969) was an American actor. ... Childrens television shows are television programs designed for and marketed to children, normally aired during the morning and afternoon hours, mainly before and after school. ...

In 1954, he began working at WQED, a Pittsburgh public television station, as a puppeteer on a local children's series, The Children's Corner. For the next seven years, he worked with host Josie Carey in unscripted live TV, and developed many of the puppets, characters and music used in his later work, such as King Friday XIII, and Curious X the Owl. Rogers first began wearing his famous sneakers when he found them to be quieter than his work shoes when he moved about behind the set. He was also the voices behind King Friday XIII and Queen Sara Saturday (named after his wife), rulers of the neighborhood, as well as X the Owl, Henrietta Pussycat, Daniel the Striped Tiger, Lady Elaine Fairchild (named for Fred's sister, Elaine) and Donkey Hodie. The show won a Sylvania Award for best children's show, and was briefly broadcast nationally on NBC. WQED (channel 13, digital channel 38) is a PBS television station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object—a puppet— in real time to create the illusion of life. ... Josie Carey (Aug 20, 1930 - May 28, 2004), was the stagename of Josephine Vicari Massucci Franz. ... Live television refers to television broadcasts of events or performances as they are happening, or on a delay of several seconds, rather than from video recordings or film. ...

For eight years during this period, he would leave the WQED studios during his lunch breaks to study theology at the nearby Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Rogers, however, was not interested in preaching, and after his ordination as a Presbyterian minister in 1962, he was specifically charged to continue his work with children's TV. Rogers is among a string of entertainers (including Jackie Mason, Hugh Beaumont, Clifton Davis, and Ralph Waite) who have a formal theological background. He had also done work at the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Child Development. Theology (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογια, logia, words, sayings, or discourse) is reasoned discourse concerning religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, founded in 1794, is a graduate theological institution associated with the Presbyterian Church USA. It is located in the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and houses one of the largest theological libraries in the nation. ... Jackie Mason (born Yacov Moshe Maza on June 9, 1931, in Sheboygan, Wisconsin) is an American stand-up comedian. ... Hugh Beaumont, American actor, director, and Methodist minister, 1909-1982 Eugene Hugh Beaumont (February 16, 1909 - May 14, 1982) was an American actor, television director, and Methodist minister. ... Clifton Davis (born October 4, 1945) is an American actor who has appeared on television shows such as Thats My Mama (on which he had the lead role) in the 1970s and on Amen in the 1980s. ... Ralph Waite (born June 22, 1928 in White Plains, New York) is an American actor whose most famous role was John Walton Sr. ... The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related, doctoral/research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... A graduate school or grad school is a school that awards advanced degrees, with the general requirement that students must have earned an undergraduate (bachelors) degree. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

In 1963, Rogers moved to Toronto, where he was contracted by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to develop a 15 minute children's television program: MisteRogers (spelling is correct),^[2] which would be his debut in front of the camera. The show was a hit with children, but only lasted for three seasons on the network. Many of his famous set pieces, such as the trolley, Eiffel Tower, the 'tree', and 'castle' were all created by designers at the CBC. While on production in Canada, Rogers brought with him his friend and understudy, Ernie Coombs, who would go on to create "Mr. Dressup," a very successful and long running children's show in Canada which, in many ways, was similar to Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Mr. Dressup had also used some of the songs that would later go on Rogers' later program. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a Canadian crown corporation, is the country’s national public radio and television broadcaster. ... Sony camera head with Betacam SP dock recorder. ... A male Caucasian toddler child A child (plural: children) is a young human. ... A television network is a distribution network for television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many television stations. ... An understudy is a theatrical term for someone who learns the lines and moves of a leading actor or actress in a theatrical play. ... Ernie Coombs as Mr. ... Ernie Coombs as Mr. ...

In 1966, Rogers acquired the rights for his program from the CBC, and moved the show to WQED in Pittsburgh, where he had worked on The Children's Corner. He developed the new show for the Eastern Educational Network. Stations which carried the program were limited; they included educational stations in Boston, Washington, DC and New York City. WQED-TV (channel 13, digital channel 38) is a PBS television station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... American Public Television (APT) is the largest of the television syndication distributors of programming for public television stations in the United States. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, Athens of America, The Hub (of the Universe)1 Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County  - Mayor Thomas M. Menino (D) Area    - City  89. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... New York, NY redirects here. ...

Distribution of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood began on February 19, 1968. The following year, the show moved to PBS (Public Broadcasting System). In 1971, Rogers formed Family Communications, Inc. (FCI), and the company established offices in the WQED building in Pittsburgh. Initially, the company served solely as the production arm of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, but now develops and produces an array of children's programming and educational materials. In 2000, Fred Rogers was diagnosed with stomach cancer, which brought production of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood to an end. February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday. ... Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services in Malta. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ...

Death and memorial

After returning to Pittsburgh, Rogers attended and participated in activities at the Sixth Presbyterian church in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. On February 27, 2003 he died from stomach cancer, a short time after his retirement, at the age of 74. Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill (2005) Squirrel Hill is a large residential neighborhood in the east end of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. As of the census of 2000, there were 26,425 people, 12,030 households, and 6,325 families residing in the 15217 ZIP code, which covers approximately the same... February 27 is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Stomach cancer (also called gastric cancer) can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs; particularly the esophagus and the small intestine. ...

Rev. William P. Barker presided over a public memorial, and attendees included Teresa Heinz Kerry, former "Good Morning America" host David Hartman, Elsie Hillman, PBS President Pat Mitchell, Arthur creator Marc Brown, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar author-illustrator Eric Carle, as well as about 2,700 other people stuffed into a near-capacity Heinz Hall. Maria Teresa Thierstein Simões-Ferreira Heinz Kerry (born October 5, 1938), is a philanthropist and the wife of U.S. Senator John Kerry. ... Good Morning America is a weekday morning news show that is broadcasted on the ABC television network. ... David Hartman is the name of at least three men: David Hartman (TV personality) David Hartman (rabbi) David Christopher Hartman (awesome guy) Category: ... The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a non-profit public broadcasting television service with 354 member TV stations in the United States, with some member stations available by cable in Canada. ... Pat Mitchell is the current president of the Museum of Television and Radio as well as former President and CEO of PBS. She resigned from PBS in March 2006 (after the Postcards from Buster lesbian-mothers scandal) and was replaced by the current CEO, Paula Kerger, formerly of New York... Arthur is an American and Canadian educational children’s television series which airs primarily on PBS in the United States, and on CBC, Knowledge Network, and TVO in Canada, although it has been syndicated to numerous other stations throughout the world. ... Marc Brown (born November 25, 1946 in Erie, Pennsylvania) is an American writer of childrens books. ... The Very Hungry Caterpillar (ISBN 0-399-22690-7) is a childrens book written by Eric Carle and originally published in 1969. ... Eric Carle Eric Carle (born June 25, 1929) is a childrens book author and illustrator, most famous for his book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which has been translated into over 30 languages. ...

Speakers remembered Rogers' love of children, devotion to his religion, enthusiasm for music, and quirks. Teresa Heinz Kerry said of Rogers, "He never condescended, just invited us into his conversation. He spoke to us as the people we were, not as the people others wished we were." Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, on a concert tour overseas, played on video, and violinist Itzhak Perlman and organist Alan Morrison played in person. Outside, about half a dozen demonstrators from the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church protested Rogers' teaching about tolerance and acceptance, and about 150 members of gay rights and peace groups marched in counter-protest, singing songs from Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.^[3] Maria Teresa Thierstein Simões-Ferreira Heinz Kerry (born October 5, 1938), is a philanthropist and the wife of U.S. Senator John Kerry. ... Alternate meaning: Cello web browser A cropped image to show the relative size of a cello to a human (Uncropped Version) The cello (also violoncello or cello) is a stringed instrument and part of the violin family. ... This is a Chinese name; the family name is Ma Yo-Yo Ma (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ) (b. ... A violinist is an instrumentalist who plays the violin. ... Itzhak Perlman Itzhak Perlman (born August 31, 1945 in Jaffa) is an Israeli virtuoso violinist and teacher. ... An organist is a musician who plays the organ, whether pipe or electronic. ... Alan Morrison is the name of several persons: Alan Morrison (poet), contemporary British poet Alan Morrison (organist), American musician Alan Morrison (cornettist), British musician Alan Morrison (footballer), Scottish footballer Alan Morrison (racing driver), BTCC racecar driver Category: ... A man holds up a street puppet designed to resemble George W. Bush at a demonstration against the World Bank and International Monetary Fund on April 16, 2005 in Washington, D.C.. American Civil Rights March on Washington, leaders marching from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial, August 28... WBC member Jael Phelps (right) and an unidentified WBC child protesting in Tulsa, Oklahoma Westboro Baptist Church is a U.S. religious organization headed by Fred Phelps and based in Topeka, Kansas. ... The gay rights movement is a collection of loosely aligned civil rights groups, human rights groups, support groups and political activists seeking acceptance, tolerance and equality for non-heterosexual, (homosexual, bisexual), and transgender people - despite the fact that it is typically referred to as the gay rights movement, members also...

Fred Rogers' remains are entombed in a family crypt in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Crypt is also a commonly used name of water trumpets, aquatic plants. ...

Overview of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

Main article: Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood began airing in 1968; the last set of new episodes were taped in December 2000, and began airing in August 2001. Mister Rogers' Neighborhood has the distinction of being the longest running program on PBS. Mister Rogers Neighborhood or MisteRogers is an American childrens television series that was created and hosted by Fred Rogers. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday. ...

• Each episode begins the same way, with Mister Rogers coming home and singing his theme song, "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" and changing into sneakers and a zippered cardigan sweater. The sweaters he wore on the show were hand knit by his mother. ^[4]
• In an episode, Rogers might have an earnest conversation with his television audience, interact with live guests, take a field trip to a nearby place such as a bakery or music store, or watch a short film.
• Typical video subject matter includes demonstrations of how inanimate objects, such as bulldozers, work or are manufactured.
• Each episode includes a trip to Rogers' "Neighborhood of Make-Believe," which features a trolley that has its own chiming theme song, a castle, and the kingdom's citizens, including King Friday XIII. The subjects discussed in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe often allow further development of thematic elements discussed in Mister Rogers' "real" neighborhood.
• Typically, each week's episodes explore a major theme, such as going to school for the first time. Most of the episodes end with Mr. Rogers singing the song "It's Such a Good Feeling."

Mister Rogers visits Sesame Street and meets Big Bird.

Visually, the presentation of the show was very simple; it did not feature the animation or fast pace of other children's shows, like Sesame Street. Rogers composed all the music for his series. He was concerned with teaching children to love themselves and others. He also tried to address common childhood fears with comforting songs and skits. For example, one of his famous songs explains how you can't be pulled down the bathtub drain — because you won't fit. He even once took a trip to the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh to show children that a hospital is not a place to be afraid of. During the Gulf War in the early 1990s, he assured children that all children in the neighborhood would be well cared for, and asked parents to promise to take care of their children. The still timely and reassuring message was aired again by PBS during the media storm that preceded the military action against Iraq in 2003. Sneakers Sneakers are footwear of flexible material, typically featuring a sole made of rubber. ... A cardigan is a type of dragon/jumper with only feet down the front; by contrast, a pullover does not open in front, but forms a solid tube around the torso. ... Bakery foods A baker is someone who bakes and sells bread, cakes and similar foods. ... An animatronic version of Daniel Stripèd Tiger The Neighborhood of Make-Believe was the fictional kingdom inhabited by the hand puppet characters on the childrens television program Mister Rogers Neighborhood. ... Image File history File links Mister_Rogers_and_Big_Bird. ... Image File history File links Mister_Rogers_and_Big_Bird. ... Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. ... Sesame Street is an American educational childrens television series for preschoolers and is a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. ... Sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes, or sketches, commonly between one and ten minutes long. ... A bathtub A bathtub (or simply bath) is a plumbing fixture used for bathing. ... The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is a leading American healthcare provider and institution for medical research consistently ranking on US News and World Reports Honor Roll of the approximately 15 best hospitals in America, appearing on the annual list seven times from 1999 through 2006 [2]. Based... Combatants UN Coalition Republic of Iraq Commanders Norman Schwarzkopf, Peter de la Billière, Khalid bin Sultan, Saleh Al-Muhaya, Mohamed Hussein Tantawi Saddam Hussein Strength 883,863 360,000 Casualties 378 dead, 1,000 wounded 25,000 dead, 75,000 wounded The Gulf War or the Persian Gulf War... Combatants Coalition Forces: United States United Kingdom South Korea Australia Poland Romania others. ...

Fred Rogers and Yo-Yo Ma discuss how music can be used to deal with angry feelings.

On the eve of the announcement that Mister Rogers' Neighborhood would cease production of new episodes, TV Guide interviewed Rogers and led the story with an anecdote. Apparently, Rogers had been driving the same car for years, an old second-hand Impala. Then it was stolen from its parking spot near the WQED studio. Rogers filed a police report, the story was picked up by local news outlets, and general shock swept across town. Within 48 hours, the car was back in the spot where he left it, along with a note saying, "If we'd known it was yours, we never would have taken it!"^{[citation needed]} Image File history File links Fred_Rogers_and_Yo_Yo_Ma. ... Image File history File links Fred_Rogers_and_Yo_Yo_Ma. ... This is a Chinese name; the family name is Ma Yo-Yo Ma (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ) (b. ... TV Guide is the name of two North American weekly magazines about television programming, one in the United States and one in Canada. ... The Chevrolet Impala is an automobile built for the Chevrolet division by General Motors. ... WQED-TV (channel 13, digital channel 38) is a PBS television station based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ...

Emmys for programming

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood won four Emmy awards, including one for lifetime achievement. An Emmy Award. ...

During the 1997 Daytime Emmys, the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Rogers. The following is an excerpt from Esquire Magazine's coverage of the gala, written by Tom Junod: A Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming. ... Esquire is a magazine for men owned by the Hearst Corporation. ...

Mister Rogers went onstage to accept the award — and there, in front of all the soap opera stars and talk show sinceratrons, in front of all the jutting man-tanned jaws and jutting saltwater bosoms, he made his small bow and said into the microphone, "All of us have special ones who have loved us into being. Would you just take, along with me, ten seconds to think of the people who have helped you become who you are. Ten seconds of silence."[1]

And then he lifted his wrist, looked at the audience, looked at his watch, and said, 'I'll watch the time." There was, at first, a small whoop from the crowd, a giddy, strangled hiccup of laughter, as people realized that he wasn't kidding, that Mister Rogers was not some convenient eunuch, but rather a man, an authority figure who actually expected them to do what he asked. And so they did. One second, two seconds, three seconds — and now the jaws clenched, and the bosoms heaved, and the mascara ran, and the tears fell upon the beglittered gathering like rain leaking down a crystal chandelier. And Mister Rogers finally looked up from his watch and said softly, "May God be with you," to all his vanquished children. Rogers is quoted as saying, "I got into television because I hated it so. And I thought there was some way of using this fabulous instrument to be of nurture to those who would watch and listen."^{[citation needed]}

Advocacy

Mister Rogers and the VCR

During the controversy surrounding the introduction of the household VCR, Rogers was involved in supporting the manufacturers of VCRs in court. His 1979 testimony in the case Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc. noted that he did not object to home recording of his television programs, for instance, by families in order to watch together at a later time. This testimony contrasted with the views of others in the television industry who objected to home recording or believed that devices to facilitate it should be taxed or regulated. The videocassette recorder (or VCR, more commonly known in the British Isles as the video recorder), is a type of video tape recorder that uses removable videotape cassettes containing magnetic tape to record audio and video from a television broadcast so it can be played back later. ... In law and in religion, testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter. ... Holding Manufacturers of home video recording machines could not be liable for contributory copyright infringement for the potential uses by its purchasers, because the devices were sold for legitimate purposes and had substantial non-infringing uses. ...

The Supreme Court considered the testimony of Rogers in its decision that held that the Betamax video recorder did not infringe copyright. The Court stated that his views were a notable piece of evidence "that many [television] producers are willing to allow private time-shifting to continue;" it even quoted his testimony in a footnote: Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest judicial body in the... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Some public stations, as well as commercial stations, program the "Neighborhood" at hours when some children cannot use it ... I have always felt that with the advent of all of this new technology that allows people to tape the "Neighborhood" off-the-air, and I'm speaking for the "Neighborhood" because that's what I produce, that they then become much more active in the programming of their family's television life. Very frankly, I am opposed to people being programmed by others. My whole approach in broadcasting has always been "You are an important person just the way you are. You can make healthy decisions." Maybe I'm going on too long, but I just feel that anything that allows a person to be more active in the control of his or her life, in a healthy way, is important.

– Frederick Rogers, ^[5]

The Home Recording Rights Coalition later stated that Rogers was "one of the most prominent witnesses on this issue." The Home Recording Rights Coalition is a non-profit advocacy organization in the U.S., whose mission is to protect the rights of consumers to view, listen to, and record radio and television broadcasts. ...

Rogers had been a supporter of VCR use since the very early days of the VCR. In his final week of episodes of the original run in 1976, Rogers used a U-Matic VCR to show scenes from past episodes, as a way to prepare viewers for repeats that would begin the following week. Sony U-matic VTR BVU-800 A U-matic tape U-matic is the name of a videocassette format developed by Sony in 1969. ...

Mister Rogers and PBS funding

In 1969, Rogers appeared before the United States Senate Subcommittee on Communications. His goal was to support funding for PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, in response to significant proposed cuts. In about five minutes of testimony, Rogers spoke of the need for social and emotional education that public television provided. He passionately argued that alternative television programming like his Neighborhood helped encourage children to become happy and productive citizens, sometimes opposing less positive messages in media and in popular culture. He even recited the lyrics to one of his songs. Seal of the U.S. Senate Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      Senate composition following 2006 elections The United States Senate is... The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a non-profit public broadcasting television service with 354 member TV stations in the United States, with some member stations available by cable in Canada. ... The Corporation for Public Broadcasting logo, used from 1969 to 2002. ...

The chairman of the subcommittee, John O. Pastore, was not previously familiar with Rogers' work, and was sometimes described as gruff and impatient. However, he reported that the testimony had given him goosebumps, and declared, "Looks like you just earned the $20 million." The subsequent congressional appropriation, for 1971, increased PBS funding from $9 million to $22 million.^[6] John Orlando Pastore (1907-2000) was a Rhode Island, USA politician who was Senator and Governor of the state, and was the first Italian American to hold either position. ...

Speeches, memberships, awards, and other recognition

• In 1969, Mr. Rogers appeared before Congress to oppose Richard Nixon's budget cutbacks for Public Broadcasting.
• In 1972, Rogers was the commencement speaker for the graduation ceremony at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
• In 1987, Rogers was initiated as an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, the national fraternity for men of music.
• In 1992, Rogers received a George Foster Peabody Award "in recognition of 25 years of beautiful days in the neighborhood."
• On May 11, 1996, Rogers gave the commencement speech at North Carolina State University.^[7]
• In 1999, Rogers was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
• On May 8, 1999, Rogers gave the commencement address at Westminster Choir College. In particular, he told the graduating musicians about his early career as a composer.
• In May 1999, Rogers gave the commencement address at Marist College.^[8]
• In May 2000, Rogers gave the commencement address at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va. ^[9][10]
• In May 2001, Rogers delivered the commencement address at Middlebury College.^[11]
• In May 2001, Rogers delivered the commencement address at Marquette University.^[12]
• In 2002 Rogers gave the commencement address at Dartmouth College.^[13]
• On July 9, 2002, Fred Rogers received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contributions to children's education. "Fred Rogers has proven that television can soothe the soul and nurture the spirit and teach the very young," said President George W. Bush at the presentation.
• In 2003, a month before his death, Rogers was a grand marshal of the Tournament of Roses Parade, serving with Art Linkletter and Bill Cosby.
• On March 4, 2003, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed Resolution 111 honoring Rogers for "his legendary service to the improvement of the lives of children, his steadfast commitment to demonstrating the power of compassion, and his dedication to spreading kindness through example ."^[14]
• On March 5, 2003 the U.S. Senate unanimously passed Resolution 16 to commemorate the life of Fred Rogers.^[15]
  • "Through his spirituality and placid nature, Mr. Rogers was able to reach out to our nation's children and encourage each of them to understand the important role they play in their communities and as part of their families," Santorum said. "More importantly, he did not shy away from dealing with difficult issues of death and divorce but rather encouraged children to express their emotions in a healthy, constructive manner, often providing a simple answer to life's hardships."
• The asteroid 26858 Misterrogers is named after Rogers. This naming, by the International Astronomical Union, was announced on May 2, 2003 by the director of the Henry Buhl Jr. Planetarium & Observatory at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh. The science center worked with Rogers' Family Communications, Inc. to produce a planetarium show for preschoolers called "The Sky Above Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," which plays at planetariums across the United States.
• In September of 2003, Saint Vincent College (Latrobe, Pennsylvania) announced it would establish The Fred M. Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media.
• The Smithsonian Institution displays one of Mister Rogers' sweaters, which was sewn by his mother.[2]

Type Bicameralism Houses Senate House of Representatives United States Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D, since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D, since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups (as of November 7, 2006 elections) Democratic Party Republican... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a non-profit public broadcasting television service with 354 member TV stations in the United States, with some member stations available by cable in Canada. ... A commencement speaker is a person who gives a speech at a graduation ceremony. ... Eastern Michigan University (Ypsilanti, MI, USA 48197) is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. ... City of Ypsilanti The Water Tower and Statue of Demetrius Ypsilanti. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ... An honorary degree (Latin: honoris causa ad gradum) is an extra-ordinary academic degree awarded to an individual as a decoration, rather than as the result of matriculating and studying for several years. ... Phi Mu Alpha (ΦΜΑ) Sinfonia is a collegiate social fraternity for men of musicianly character. ... Look up fraternity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The George Foster Peabody Awards, more commonly referred to as the Peabody Awards, are annual international awards given for excellence in radio and television broadcasting. ... May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (132nd in leap years). ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... The Television Academy Hall of Fame was founded by a former president of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the late John H. Mitchell, to honor individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to television. ... Westminster Choir College is a residential college of music located in the Princeton, New Jersey, United States. ... This article is about Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, USA. For other facilities with similar names, see List of Marist Brothers schools. ... Old Dominion University (ODU) is a university located in Norfolk, Virginia. ... Middlebury College is a small liberal arts college located in the rural New England shire town of Middlebury, Vermont, United States. ... Marquette University is a, private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the United States of America. ... Dartmouth College is a private, coeducational university located in Hanover, New Hampshire, in the United States. ... July 9 is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 175 days remaining. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... The Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is one of the two highest civilian awards in the United States and is bestowed by the President of the United States (the other major civilian award which is considered its equivalent is the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor, which... The presidential seal was first used in 1880 by President Rutherford Bitch ass face Hayes and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States, inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Grand Marshal is a ceremonial, military, or political office of very high rank. ... A float from the 2004 Rose Parade A close up of roses used to create a rose bowl parade float. ... Art Linkletter caricature by Sam Berman for NBCs 1947 promotion book Art Linkletter (born Gordon Arthur Kelly on July 17, 1912) was the host of two of the longest-running shows in broadcast history: House Party, which ran on CBS radio and television for 25 years, and People Are... William Henry Bill Cosby, Jr. ... March 4 is the 63rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (64th in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Seal of the House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives (or simply the House) is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress, the other being the Senate. ... March 5 is the 64th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (65th in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States Senate is the upper house of the U.S. Congress, smaller than the United States House of Representatives. ... “Santorum” redirects here. ... 26858 Misterrogers is a Main Belt asteroid named after beloved childrens television host Mister Rogers. ... Logo of the IAU The International Astronomical Union (French: Union astronomique internationale) unites national astronomical societies from around the world. ... May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh are operated by the Carnegie Institute and located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... // A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation. ... Saint Vincent College is a four-year, coeducational, Catholic, liberal arts, Benedictine college in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, located forty miles southeast of Pittsburgh (List of Benedictine Colleges). ... Latrobe is a city located in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. ... The Smithsonian Institution Building or Castle on the National Mall serves as the Institutions headquarters. ...

Facts and figures

• WQED Multimedia dedicated their April 2003 issue to commemorate Rogers' life and mourn his passing. Included in the magazine is a table of information that measures the impact Rogers had. Among the items cited:

• 10 ½: Fred Rogers' shoe size
• 24: The number of cardigans Rogers had over the course of his career
• 4: Number of Emmys that Rogers won
• 8: The percentage of households tuned in to Mister Rogers' Neighborhood at its ratings peak, in 1985.
• 1: Number of times Rogers appeared on television as someone other than himself (he played a preacher on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman)
• 33: Number of seasons that Mister Rogers' Neighborhood produced new episodes
• 25: Number of pages the magazine would have had to use to print every award and recognition that Rogers had received
• 40: Number of honorary degrees awarded to Rogers
• 998: Number of episodes of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
• 5: The age that Rogers began playing piano
• 200: Number of songs Rogers wrote during his career
• 60: Number of seconds of silence that Rogers would ask for at speaking engagements; he would instruct the audience to use the minute of silence to remember those who helped them become who they were.

2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Urban legends

Fred Rogers has been the subject of a few urban legends. Among the urban legends and rumors about Rogers^[16]: Urban Legend is also the name of a 1998 movie. ...

• That he served in the military around the era of the Vietnam war.
• That he was a Marine sniper, or a Navy SEAL, and that the reason for him always wearing cardigans was to cover tattoos on his arms.
• That he had a skull tattoo on his arm for every man that he killed as a sniper.
• That he stuck his middle finger up to his young audience during his final broadcast in 2000.

Rumors to this effect have been completely discounted as being false on urban legend verification websites^[16]. Not only is military service not mentioned in any biographies about him, but there is no period of time, unaccounted for, where he could have been involved in war efforts. During most of the Vietnam conflict, he was fully dedicated to his television show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and before that, around the start of Vietnam, he was living and working in Canada, and was working on getting rights for his show and moving it to Pittsburgh. Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... SEALs in from the water. ... Sir Thomas Malory wrote the most famous fictional biography of the Middle Ages with Le Morte dArthur about the life of King Arthur. ...

References

September 25 is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Sic is a Latin word meaning thus or so. In writing, it is italicized and placed within square brackets — [sic] — to indicate that an incorrect or unusual spelling, phrase, or other preceding quoted material is a verbatim reproduction of the quoted original and is not a transcription error. ... April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 18 is the 322nd day of the year (323rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... March 13 is the 72nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (73rd in leap years). ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (132nd in leap years). ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... A news release, press release or press statement is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something claimed as having news value. ... May 22 is the 142nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (143rd in leap years). ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... June 9 is the 160th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (161st in leap years), with 205 days remaining. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

External links

• Fred Rogers at the Internet Movie Database
• PBS Kids: Official Site
• The Fred M. Rogers Center
• Family Communications, Inc.
• Full List of Honorary Degrees and Awards Given to Fred Rogers
• Fred Rogers Biography
• About his Presidential Medal of Freedom
• News article on his final episodes
• Pittsburgh bids farewell to Fred Rogers with moving public tribute Barbara Vancheri and Rob Owen, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 4, 2003
• Sad day in neighborhood: Beloved Mister Rogers dies. New York Daily News (February 27, 2003). Archived from the original on 2006-02-08. Retrieved on March 31, 2007.
• Salon's Brilliant Careers: Fred Rogers
• 1987 audio interview of Fred Rogers by Don Swaim of CBS Radio, RealAudio
• Archive of American Television Video Interview with Fred Rogers
• Biography of Fred Rogers at the "Rotten" Library
• December 2002 Interview on NPR's The Diane Rehm Show (Real Audio)
• 'Mister Rogers' dies at age 74