This most charismatic and beloved child tv show host, Fred Rogers, gave us all the sense of feeling loved exactly the way we are. He made us feel welcomed, as if we were are all connected. He showed us what being loved felt like. He showed us what the real world was like and how to handle tough situations. He acted as a father figure to many. He was a man that would always be there to listen and to give advice. He was there for every child in America. Fred Rogers was a traditional television personality, whose work with children, the ministry, and family helped him overcome childhood and college difficulties to become America’s Favorite Neighbor.
Fred Rogers was born on March 20th, 1928 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania on 705 Main Street. His parents were Jim and Nancy Rogers. Rogers had one sister, Laney, who was adopted due to childbirth difficulties Nancy Rogers had with Fred. When he was a child, Rogers suffered from numerous illnesses, both physical and emotional. It took effort for him to learn to deal with a sibling in the house. As a youth, he dealt with severe asthma, shyness, and loneliness. He struggled to fit in, even though he loved his family and surroundings. In his darkest times, he would bury himself in reading and music as an outlet. It brought him comfort and happiness when he could be alone and read.
Despite his childhood struggles, Rogers endured through elementary and high school. He went on to college, attending Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. He was excited to pursue the ministry as well as music, but his darkness followed him, leaving major doubts in his mind as to his future and vocation. At Darmouth, he felt lonely and out of place, so he resorted to vivid memories of home to bring him comfort. With inner strength, Fred then took his loneliness, fears, and isolation and used them to craft what he felt was the right next step. Rogers meet a man named Kvam who convinced him to switch his majors after a deep conversation between them two. Rogers switched from the ministry solely to music and decided to go to Rollins College in Florida instead of Dartmouth. When he made the switch, he felt it would be a more friendly, relaxed, and warm environment. He felt as if the world was characterized by the love of music. At Rollins, Fred a young lady named Joanne. They met and immediately into a strong relationship which eventually led to marriage.
Throughout college he was faced with difficulties that soon were overcome with the help of his girlfriend. Rogers decided to move to New York in 1951, where he was given a job at the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). When he started this job, his work consumed him, leaving he and Joanne struggling with the strength of their relationship. Rogers decided to secure the relationship, so he flew down for Joanne’s graduation with an engagement ring. She accepted his proposal, and they got married in early July 1952 in the High Episcopal Church of the Resurrection. They both wanted to have their honeymoon in Montreal. Right after the honeymoon, resumed his work at NBC. Rogers’ interest in technology was around the use of education for commitment to universal human values. He embraced his love for technology and used it for imaginative ways to benefit children. Rogers’ father told him about a new television opportunity in Pittsburgh which excited Rogers. A group of people wanted to start the first community-based public television show in the United States. Rogers thought the concept was intriguing and along his interests, so he sent in his application. As Rogers said, “I have the feeling that educational television might be, at least for me, the way of the future.” (King 91). He was accepted at the television station WQED in 1953.
Rogers moved to Pittsburgh in 1953 to start the new job at WQED for the public television show. It would give him the creative freedom to involve himself in writing and performing. As Rogers said, “I was just at the right place at the right time.” (King 92). He was promoted to program manager a year later. During this time, two staff members at WQED responded to his request to do a live children’s program. Rogers decided to do that show with his friend, Josie, for one hour a day. Rogers would be the one to play the music and Josie would sing. . He planned out his own program starring puppets. The program would be called “The Children Corners”. The puppets in the show and in his career were just the beginning of what would be a wonderful career. When the show began, letters from parents flooded in, telling them how much the show meant to them and their children. Rogers was told how much he was appreciated by the parents who watched the show.
While Rogers was doing,” The Children Corners”, he was still committed to his ministry. He enrolled part time at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. While he was enrolled and doing the show, he and Joanne had their son, James, in 1959. Rogers earned top honors at the seminary and graduated in 1963 with a masters in divinity. He would frequently preach at Pittsburgh’s Sixth Presbyterian Church. Rogers now felt he was ready to take his ministry to help children. He knew he did not want to be a pastor or give sermons. He was uncertain exactly how to proceed. He ended the children’s show to focus on the ministry, but he wanted to do so in a new television show with children.
Rogers was committed to the ministry and to his education while he was working in the television show,” The Children Corners.” Later in 1963, Rogers and his family moved to Canada to start working at CBC for a program for young children based on his own experiences. This new program would only be about 15 minutes long, so the children would not lose focus. The show asked Rogers to come out from behind the stage and be seen, but he declined. The new show was called “Misterogers”. The show would incorporate a trolley, Rogers wearing a new sweater, and, of course, the puppets. All these things were traditions that would go on forever. Unfortunately, in 1966 the Rogers’ visas expired and they had to move back to Pittsburgh, where he was, once again, unemployed. He decided to volunteer with children at the Bellefield Presbyterian Church.
Rogers moved back to Pennsylvania in 1966 not knowing which direction his career was headed. He wanted to take his work with music and connect with child development. As Rogers said,” School systems work on a fixed schedule, and human development doesn’t.” (Rogers, 105) While he was in Pennsylvania, he received a call from George Hill asking to do a new show. In this new show Rogers did not want commercials; he believed it was wrong to show ads to little children. He also needed to do this show alone for himself, so he started a new program that flowed from his life. In every episode he would sing “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood” to show kids he valued them just the way they are. This new program debuted on February 19th, 1968, named “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood’’. The first season had 180 episodes and was taped live in a studio. It was produced by his old employer, WQED. WQED was very frugal. They produced the show in color, but did not buy a color monitor because Rogers was colorblind.
The Rogers’ family settled in Pittsburgh, so Fred could refine, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” While Rogers was working for the show, he made a now famous appearance defending public television in the Pastore hearings. This appearance turned him into a recognizable figure to many. It was in this century that research into child development flourished and we learned that the most crucial learning for kids was in their earliest years of their lives. They said that the majority of what children would develop at that age would be language and development of the child’s brain, because of this Rogers made sure to take severe care when shaping the episodes. He told the children “Sometimes people get sad” (King 191). He would tell them that people do feel sadness, but the feeling is temporary. He made sure nothing in the show would mislead the children. For example, he would end his shows on Friday by making sure the children knew there would not be a show on Saturday. When making these episodes he would take fan mail and take ideas from them. After that, he would select a theme for the script and go over it at great length. Finally, they would review the development aspects of the script and add additional details.
About seven years after the show had been running, Rogers felt that he was ready for something new. He was ready for a new challenge, so he abruptly dropped the show in 1975. He thought he had covered every terrain he could with “Mister Rogers.” He wanted a new show that would illustrate the theme of how memories are made, but this show would not be for a child audience, it would be for adults. He decided to do this show after his grandpa died, because now only his memories would be left. This new show was called “Old Friends…New Friends”, and was only for adults. The new show caught his coworkers off guard because “The Neighborhood” is what Rogers felt so comfortable with himself. Rogers felt this new show would really take advantage of his strengths. He would ask people what the meaning of life was, but Rogers had such a childlike style and persona he could not escape it. The new show lacked entertainment value and Rogers felt he could not keep the show on the air.
In 1979, Rogers started looking for support for a new round of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” It had been five years since the show last aired, but it came back better than ever. Rogers would use his storytelling to discuss important topics such as divorce, sickness, violence, and separation from parents. Rogers wanted his reputation to be seen as the most thoughtful and courageous creator on children’s television. As Rogers would say “Believe you. It is your story that is important. It is your mind and heart that can make things possible just because of who you are.” (King, 255). After 20 years of success in the new format, Rogers started experiencing the loss of motivation that many television personalities have after a lot run. He started to slow down and focus more on resting than working. Finally, he decided to end the show once and for all. The last episode of 33 seasons aired on August 31st, 2001. It was only five vignettes and was entitled “Celebrate the Arts”.
Fred Rogers suffered from terrible stomach distress but did not like being examined. When he went in to see a doctor, an endoscopy revealed stomach cancer. Rogers put off his treatment, which caused the cancer to spread beyond his stomach. The pain was so bad that even Joanne knew it was the end. Rogers died on February 27th, 2003. Rogers received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a Peabody Award, and 4 daytime Emmys. He was also inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. Rogers is America’s Favorite Neighbor and will be remembered for his love of children and devotion to religion.
Fred Rogers became a traditional television personality, whose work with children, the ministry, and families helped him overcome childhood and college difficulties to become America’s Favorite Neighbor. He showed parents that he cares for their children and how they should deal with different situations. He showed them that they should be accepted just the way they are. He was a man that went through many different jobs and tough situations in college, in his childhood, and in his marriage. Rogers made everyone feel connected to him in one way or another. He showed us what to do in times of trouble with our family, friends, and coworkers. Rogers was a man that will be remembered for all he did, not only for children, but also for parents.
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