Rogers, Fred McFeely

▪ 2004

      American television host, producer, and writer (b. March 20, 1928, Latrobe, Pa.—d. Feb. 27, 2003, Pittsburgh, Pa.), was the friend of millions of children for the way he taught them how to get along with others, feel good about themselves, and cope with their fears. Singing the familiar “It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood” theme and putting on his sneakers and trademark zippered cardigan, he would open his public television program, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, and settle in with his viewers to begin the topic of the day. Besides producing, writing the scripts, and serving as host, he wrote about 200 songs for the program, some 1,000 episodes of which were broadcast between 1968 and 2001. Following graduation (1951) from Rollins College, Winter Park, Fla., with a degree in musical composition, Rogers worked first for NBC in New York City and then for the public television station WQED in Pittsburgh, where in 1954 he began what became a seven-year run of writing, producing, and serving as puppeteer for The Children's Corner; 30 segments of the show were broadcast on NBC in 1955–56. He earned (1962) a divinity degree from the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and was ordained by the Presbyterian Church, which asked him to continue his TV work. Rogers made his on-camera debut in 1963 on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Misterogers and in 1966 returned to WQED, where the show became Misterogers' Neighborhood. By 1968 it was being distributed nationally as Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. Although the show continued to be broadcast, the last original episode was taped in December 2000 and broadcast the following August; following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, however, Rogers once again appeared on camera to record public-service announcements aimed at informing parents how they could help their children cope with the events. Rogers was honoured with numerous awards, including four daytime Emmys, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' lifetime achievement award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In addition, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., added one of his red cardigans to its collection of Americana.

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