Fred Rogers

"Mister Rogers" redirects here. For the television show, see Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. For other people, see Frederick Rogers (disambiguation). For an asteroid, see 26858 Misterrogers.

Fred Rogers
with the miniature set for Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood
Born	Fred McFeely Rogers March 20, 1928(1928-03-20) Latrobe, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	February 27, 2003(2003-02-27) (aged 74) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Cause of death	Stomach cancer
Other names	Mister Rogers Mr. Rogers
Occupation	Educator, minister, songwriter, television host
Years active	1951–2002
Religion	Presbyterian Church (ordained in 1963)
Spouse	Sara Joanne Byrd (1952–2003)

Fred McFeely Rogers (March 20, 1928 – February 27, 2003) was an American educator, Presbyterian minister, songwriter, and television host. Rogers was most famous for creating and hosting Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (1968–2001), that featured his gentle, soft-spoken personality and directness to his audiences.^[1]

Initially educated to be a minister, Rogers was displeased with the way television addressed children and made an effort to change this when he began to write for and perform on local Pittsburgh area shows dedicated to youth. The Public Broadcasting System developed his own nationally aired show in 1968 and over the course of three decades on television, he became an indelible American icon of children's entertainment and education, as well as a symbol of compassion, patience, and morality.^[2] He was also known for his advocacy of various public causes. He testified to the U.S. Supreme Court on time shifting; and he gave now-famous testimony to a U.S. Senate committee, advocating government funding for children's television.^[3]

Rogers was honored extensively for his life work in children's education. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian honor, a Peabody Award for his career, and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. Two resolutions recognizing his work were unanimously passed by U.S. Congress, one of his trademark sweaters was acquired and is on display at the Smithsonian Institution, and several buildings and works of art in Pennsylvania are dedicated to his memory.

In 1996, Mister Fred Rogers was ranked #35 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.^[4]

Personal life

Fred McFeely Rogers was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, 40 miles (65 km) southeast of Pittsburgh, to James and Nancy Rogers; he had one sister, Elaine Rogers Crozier.^[5] Early in his life, he spent much of his free time with his maternal grandfather, Fred McFeely, who would later move to Florida, and had an interest in music. He would often sing along as his mother would play the piano and, at age five, began to play the piano as well.^[6]

Rogers graduated from Latrobe High School (1946).^[7] He studied at Dartmouth College (1946–48) in Hanover, New Hampshire,^[8] and transferred to Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Music Composition (1951).^[9]

At Rollins, Rogers met Sara Joanne Byrd, an Oakland, Florida, native; and they married on June 9, 1952.^[10] They had two sons, James (b. 1959) and John (b. 1961), and three grandsons, the third (Ian McFeely Rogers) born twelve days after Rogers' death.^[11] In 1963, Rogers graduated from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and was ordained a minister in the Presbyterian Church. During the course of his career, he garnered forty honorary degrees.^[6] Rogers was red-green color blind,^[12] swam every morning, was a vegetarian, and neither smoked nor drank.^[13]

Rogers had an apartment in New York City and a summer home on Nantucket island in Massachusetts.^[11][14]

Television career

Early work

Fred Rogers had a life-changing moment when he first saw television in his parents' home. He entered seminary after college; but, after his first experience as a viewer, he wanted to explore the potential of the medium.^[14] In an interview with CNN in his later years, Rogers stated, "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."^[13]

He thus applied for a job at NBC in New York City in 1951 and was hired because of his Music degree. Rogers spent three years working on the production staffs for such music-centered programming as NBC Opera Theater. He also worked on Gabby Hayes' show for children. Ultimately, Rogers decided that commercial television's reliance on advertisement and merchandising undermined its ability to educate or enrich young audiences, so he quit NBC.

In 1954, he began working at WQED, a Pittsburgh public television station, as a puppeteer on a local children's show The Children's Corner. For the next seven years, he worked with host Josie Carey in unscripted live TV, developing many of the puppets, characters, and music used in his later work, such as King Friday XIII, and Curious X the Owl.

Rogers began wearing his famous sneakers when he found them to be quieter than his work shoes as he moved about behind the set. He was also the voices of King Friday XIII and Queen Sara Saturday (named after his wife), rulers of the neighborhood, as well as X the Owl, Henrietta Pussycat, Daniel Striped Tiger, Lady Elaine Fairchild, and Larry Horse. The show won a Sylvania Award^[15] for best children's show, and was briefly broadcast nationally on NBC.

During these eight years, 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, he was specifically charged to continue his work with Children's Television. He had also done work at the University of Pittsburgh's program in Child Development and Child Care.

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, [sic]^[16] which would be his debut in front of the camera. The show was a hit with children but lasted for only three seasons. Many of his famous set pieces—Trolley, Eiffel Tower, the 'tree', and 'castle'—were created by CBC designers. While in Canada, Rogers brought 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, and similar in many ways to Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Mr. Dressup also used some of the songs that would be featured on Rogers' later program.

In 1966, Rogers acquired the rights to 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 that carried the program were limited but did include educational stations in Boston, Washington, D.C., and New York City.

After returning to Pittsburgh, Rogers attended and participated in activities at the Sixth Presbyterian church in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, a More Light congregation which he attended until his death.^[17]

Distribution of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood began on February 19, 1968. The following year, the show moved to PBS (Public Broadcasting Service). 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.

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

A sweater worn by Rogers, on display in the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of American History.

Main article: Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood began airing in 1968 and ran for 895 episodes; the last set of new episodes was taped in December 2000 and began airing in August 2001. At its peak, in 1985, 8% of U.S households tuned in to the show.^[6]

• Each episode began the same way: Mister Rogers is seen coming home, singing his theme song "Won't You Be My Neighbor?", and changing into sneakers and a zippered cardigan sweater.
• In a typical episode, Rogers might have an earnest conversation with his television audience, interact with live guests, take a field trip to such places as a bakery or a music store, or watch a short film.
• Typical video subjects included demonstrations of how such inanimate objects as bulldozers and crayons work or are manufactured.
• Each episode included a trip to Rogers' "Neighborhood of Make-Believe" featuring a trolley with 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 allowed further development of themes discussed in Mister Rogers' "real" neighborhood.
• Mister Rogers often fed his fish during episodes. They were originally named Fennel and Frieda.
• Typically, each week's episode explored a major theme, such as going to school for the first time.
• Originally, most episodes ended with a song entitled "Tomorrow", and Friday episodes looked forward to the week ahead with an adapted version of "It's Such a Good Feeling." In later seasons, all episodes ended with "Feeling."

Visually, the presentation of the show was very simple, and it did not feature the animation or fast pace of other children's shows, which Rogers thought of as "bombardment".^[3] Rogers also believed in not acting out a different persona on camera compared to how he acted off camera, stating that "One of the greatest gifts you can give anybody is the gift of your honest self. I also believe that kids can spot a phony a mile away."^[18] Rogers composed almost all of the music on the program.^{[note 1]} He wanted to teach children to love themselves and others, and he addressed common childhood fears with comforting songs and skits. For example, one of his famous songs explains how a child cannot be pulled down the bathtub drain because he or she will not 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 fear. During the Gulf War (1990–91), he assured his audience that all children in the neighborhood would be well cared for and asked parents to promise to take care of their own children. The message was aired again by PBS during the media storm that preceded the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Other television work

In 1994, Rogers created another one-time special for PBS called Fred Rogers' Heroes which consisted of documentary portraits of four real-life people whose work helped make their communities better. Rogers, uncharacteristically dressed in a suit and tie, hosted in wraparound segments which did not use the "Neighborhood" set.

For a time Rogers produced specials for parents as a precursor to the subject of the week on the Neighborhood called "Mister Rogers Talks To Parents About [topic]". Rogers didn't host those specials though as other people like Joan Lunden, who hosted the Conflict special, and other news announcers played MC duties in front of a gallery of parents while Rogers answered questions from them. These specials were made to prep the parents for any questions the children might ask after watching the episodes on that topic of the week.

The only time Rogers appeared on television as someone other than himself was in 1996, when he played a preacher on one episode of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.^[6]

In the mid-1980s, the Burger King fast-food chain lampooned Rogers' image with an actor called "Mr. Rodney", imitating Rogers' television character.^[19] Rogers found the character's pitching fast food as confusing to children, and called a press conference in which he stated that he did not endorse the company's use of his character or likeness (Rogers did no commercial endorsements of any kind throughout his career, though he acted as a pitchman for several non-profit organizations dedicated to learning over the years). The chain publicly apologized for the faux pas, and pulled the ads.^[20] By contrast, Fred Rogers found Eddie Murphy's parody of his show on Saturday Night Live, "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood," amusing and affectionate, which was also initially broadcast at a time of night when his own child audience was not likely to see it.^[21]

Emmys for programming

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood won four Emmy awards, and Rogers received one for lifetime achievement.

During the 1997 Daytime Emmys, the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Rogers. The following is an excerpt from Esquire's coverage of the gala, written by Tom Junod:

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."

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, seven 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.^[14][22]

Advocacy

Rogers meeting with President George W. Bush in 2002.

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 six 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.

The chairman of the subcommittee, John O. Pastore, was not previously familiar with Rogers' work, and was sometimes described as impatient. However, he reported that the testimony had given him goosebumps, and declared, "I think it's wonderful. Looks like you just earned the $20 million." The subsequent congressional appropriation, for 1971, increased PBS funding from $9 million to $22 million.^[23]

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 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" and even quoted his testimony in a footnote:

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.^[24]

Death, awards, and memorials

The Fred Rogers Memorial Statue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Created by Robert Berks, and opened to the public on November 5, 2009.

Rogers was diagnosed with stomach cancer in December 2002, not long after his retirement. He underwent surgery on January 6, 2003, which was unsuccessful.^[5][25] A week earlier, he served as grand marshal of the Tournament of Roses Parade, with Art Linkletter and Bill Cosby.^[26]

Rogers died on February 27, 2003 at his home with his wife by his side, less than a month before he would have turned 75.^[5] His death was such a significant event in Pittsburgh that the front page of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published the next day devoted its coverage to him. The Reverend William P. Barker presided over a public memorial in Pittsburgh. More than 2,700 people attended the memorial at Heinz Hall, including former Good Morning America host David Hartman, Teresa Heinz Kerry, philanthropist Elsie Hillman, PBS President Pat Mitchell, Arthur creator Marc Brown, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar author-illustrator Eric Carle.^[11] 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."^[27] Rogers is interred at Unity Cemetery in Latrobe.

On New Years Day of 2004, Michael Keaton hosted the PBS TV special Fred Rogers: America's Favorite Neighbor. It was released on DVD September 28 that year. Keaton was a former stagehand on the show before he quit to become an actor. To mark what would have been his 80th birthday, Rogers' production company sponsored several events to memorialize him, including "Won't You Wear a Sweater Day", during which fans and neighbors were asked to wear their favorite sweaters in celebration.^[28]

The television industry honored Rogers with a George Foster Peabody Award "in recognition of 25 years of beautiful days in the neighborhood" in 1987,^[29] the same year he was initiated as an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, the national fraternity for men of music.^[30] Rogers was a National Patron of Delta Omicron, an international professional music fraternity.^[31] He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1999.^[32] One of Rogers' iconic sweaters was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution, which displays it as a "Treasure of American History".^[33] In 2002 Rogers received the PNC Commonwealth Award in Mass Communications.^[34]

"Interpretations of Oakland" by John Laidacker

He was furthermore awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002, for his contributions to children's education, justified by President George W. Bush, who said, "Fred Rogers has proven that television can soothe the soul and nurture the spirit and teach the very young". A year later, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed Resolution 16 to commemorate the life of Fred Rogers.^[1] It read, in part, "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. 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."

Following Rogers' death, the U.S. House of Representatives in 2003 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."^[35]

The same year the U.S. Presbyterian Church approved an overture "to observe a memorial time for the Reverend Fred M. Rogers" at its General Assembly.^[36] The rationale for the recognition of Rogers reads, "The Reverend Fred Rogers, a member of the Presbytery of Pittsburgh, as host of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood since 1968, had a profound effect on the lives of millions of people across the country through his ministry to children and families. Mister Rogers promoted and supported Christian values in the public media with his demonstration of unconditional love. His ability to communicate with children and to help them understand and deal with difficult questions in their lives will be greatly missed."^[37]

Several buildings, monuments, and works of art are dedicated to Rogers' memory, including a mural sponsored by the Pittsburgh-based Sprout Fund in 2006, "Interpretations of Oakland," by John Laidacker that featured Mr. Rogers.^[38] Saint Vincent College in (Latrobe, Pennsylvania) completed construction of The Fred M. Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media in 2008.^[39] The Fred Rogers Memorial Statue on the North Shore near Heinz Field in Pittsburgh^[40] was created by Robert Berks and dedicated in 2009.^[41]

"Fredosaurus Rex Friday XIII" by Karen Howell honoring Fred Rogers. outside WQED studios in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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.^[42][43]

False rumors

A false rumor claims that Fred Rogers was once a U.S. Marine sniper in the Vietnam War. The rumor appeared on the Internet in 1994 and re-emerged several times over the next ten years, most notably after his death in 2003.^[44][45] However, Rogers never served in any branch of the military. Beginning in 1963, Rogers developed the Misterogers program for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. In 1966, he moved back to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the U.S. where he produced Mister Rogers' Neighborhood through the height of U.S. military involvement in Vietnam. Related claims that Rogers had a number of military tattoos are also entirely false.^[46]

See also

Biography portal

• Colcom Foundation

Notes

1. ^ Bits of incidental music, such as improvisations from members of the orchestra or music from guests to the program, weren't composed by Rogers. The recurring iconic songs, however, were all Rogers' work.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Bill Text - 108th Congress (2003-2004) - S.CON.RES.16.ATS". THOMAS. Library of Congress. 5 March 2003. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:S.CON.RES.16.ATS:. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
2. ^ Sostek, Anya (6 November 2009). "Mr. Rogers takes rightful place at riverside tribute". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09310/1011221-53.stm. Retrieved 6 September 2010. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Mister Rogers defending PBS to the US Senate". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXEuEUQIP3Q. Retrieved 6 September 2010. 
4. ^ "Special Collectors' Issue: 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time". TV Guide (December 14-20). 1996. 
5. ^ ^{a b c} Owen, Rob; Barbara Vancheri (28 February 2003). "Fred Rogers dies at 74". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/20030228rogersae1p1.asp. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
6. ^ ^{a b c d} DeFranceso, Joyce (April 2003). "Remembering Fred Rogers: A Life Well-Lived: A look back at Fred Rogers' life". Pittsburgh Magazine. Archived from the original on 25 December 2004. http://web.archive.org/web/20050103143529/www.wqed.org/mag/0403_remember3.shtml. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
7. ^ Brownawell, Angel (28 February 2003). "Neighborhood mourns Mister Rogers". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_120982.html. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
8. ^ "'Mister Rogers' to give Dartmouth Commencement Address". Dartmouth News (Dartmouth College Office of Public Affairs). 2 May 2002. http://www.dartmouth.edu/~news/releases/2002/may/050202.html. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
9. ^ Davis, Bobby (Summer 2003). "Fred McFeely Rogers". The Rollins Alumni Record. pp. 20–23. http://asp3.rollins.edu/olin/oldsite/archives/golden/rogers.htm. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
10. ^ "Fred McFeely Rogers". UXL Newsmakers (2005) (FindArticles.com). 2005. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_gx5221/is_2005/ai_n19141599. Retrieved 2007-12-13. 
11. ^ ^{a b c} Vancheri, Barbara; Rob Owen (4 May 2003). "Pittsburgh bids farewell to Fred Rogers with moving public tribute". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://www.post-gazette.com/localnews/20030504rogers0504p1.asp. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
12. ^ Roddy, Dennis (March 1, 2003). "Fred Rogers kept it simple, and elegantly so". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/20030301roddy5.asp. Retrieved 2007-12-12. 
13. ^ ^{a b} Millman, Joyce (10 August 1999). "Salon Brilliant Careers: Fred Rogers". Salon.com. Salon Media Group. http://www.salon.com/people/bc/1999/08/10/rogers/index.html. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
14. ^ ^{a b c} Junod, Tom (November 1998). "Can You Say ... 'Hero'?". Esquire. http://www.pittsburghinwords.org/tom_junod.html. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
15. ^ Schultz, Mike. "Sylvania Award". uv201.com. http://uv201.com/TV_Pages/sylvania_award.htm. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
16. ^ Williams, Suzanne. "Fred McFeely Rogers". The Museum of Broadcast Communications. http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=rogersfred. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
17. ^ Rodgers-Melnick, Ann (4 May 2003). "Liberal pastor retires after long run in city". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://www.post-gazette.com/localnews/20030504mccall0504p4.asp. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
18. ^ Owen, Rob (12 November 2000). "There goes the Neighborhood: Mister Rogers will make last episodes of show in December". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Magazine. http://www.post-gazette.com/tv/20001112rogers2.asp. Retrieved 20 March 2011. 
19. ^ Edwards, Joe (1984-05-21). "Burger King ad strategy pushes unit volumes near $1M". Nation's Restaurant News. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_v18/ai_3275741/. Retrieved 2009-05-16. 
20. ^ Dougherty, Philip (May 10, 1984). ADVERTISING; ; Thompson Withdraws An Ad for Burger King, The New York Times. Retrieved on January 11, 2011.
21. ^ Lewis, Daniel (February 28, 2003). Fred Rogers, Host of 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood,' Dies at 74, The New York Times. Retrieved on January 9, 2011.
22. ^ "Fred Rogers Acceptance Speech - 1997" Official Emmys channel on YouTube. 26 Mar 2008. Last accessed 10 Mar 2011.
23. ^ "Video of Mr. Rogers testimony before Congress". 1969. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2883185966575573317. Retrieved 2006-11-17. 
24. ^ "SONY CORP. OF AMER. v. UNIVERSAL CITY STUDIOS, INC., 464 U.S. 417 (1984)". Supreme Court of the United States of America. 1984. http://www.law.cornell.edu/copyright/cases/464_US_417.htm#464us417n27. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
25. ^ Everhart, Karen (10 March 2003). "Fred Rogers, 1928-2003". Current. http://www.current.org/ch/ch0305rogers.html. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
26. ^ "Grand Marshal Slide Show Main". Tournament of Roses. 2004. http://www.tournamentofroses.com/photogallery/GMs/gm2003b.htm. Retrieved 26 February 2010. 
27. ^ Vancheri, Barbara (May 4, 2003). Pittsburgh bids farewell to Fred Rogers with moving public tribute, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved on January 9, 2011.
28. ^ "Won't You Wear a Sweater?". Rollins News Center. Rollins College. 21 March 2008. http://news.rollins.edu/08sweaterpics.shtml. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
29. ^ "GEORGE FOSTER PEABODY AWARD WINNERS". University of Georgia, George Foster Peabody Award. http://www.peabody.uga.edu/winners/PeabodyWinnersBook.pdf. 
30. ^ Faith Spicer, Cheri (May 2004). "Remembering Our Neighbor: His Lessons on Listening and Love". The Sinfonian. sinfonia.org. pp. 19–21. http://www.sinfonia.org/TheSinfonian/issues/2004-05-part2.pdf. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
31. ^ "National Patrons & Patronesses". Delta Omicron. Archived from the original on 9 June 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080317051706/www.delta-omicron.org/national/patrons.html. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
32. ^ "Hall of Fame". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. http://cdn.emmys.tv/awards/halloffame/hofarchive.php. Retrieved 2008-12-03. 
33. ^ "NMAH - Treasures of American History - American Television (page 2 of 2)". National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institution. http://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/small_exhibition.cfm?key=1267&exkey=143&pagekey=266. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
34. ^ PNC Honors Six Achievers Who Enrich The World, PNC Financial Services Group (2002). Retrieved on January 9, 2011.
35. ^ "Bill Text - 108th Congress (2003-2004) - H.RES.111.EH". THOMAS. Library of Congress. 4 March 2003. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:H.RES.111.EH:. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
36. ^ "Recommendations on Business before the 215th General Assembly". General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA). 2003. http://www.mlp.org/news/215GAbus.htm. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
37. ^ "Minutes: 215th General Assembly (2003), Part I", Office of the General Assembly, Proceedings of the 215th General Assembly (2003) of the Presbyterian Church p. 107. Retrieved on January 9, 2011.
38. ^ "2006 Sprout Public Art Mural Kickoff Event Schedule". thisishappening. http://www.thisishappening.com/EventPage.php?eventid=41923. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
39. ^ "Fred M. Rogers Center". Saint Vincent College. 2010. http://www.stvincent.edu/events/the-conference-center-at-saint-vincent-college2/fred-m.-rogers-center. Retrieved 30 July 2010. 
40. ^ Sostek, Anya (2009-11-05). "Sculpture of Fred Rogers unveiled on North Side". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09309/1011105-100.stm. Retrieved 2009-11-09. 
41. ^ Butter, Bob (2009-11-05). "World's First Sculpture of American Icon Fred Rogers Unveiled". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS187313+05-Nov-2009+PRN20091105. Retrieved 2009-11-05. 
42. ^ 26858 Misterrogers (1993 FR), NASA. Retrieved on January 9, 2011.
43. ^ Plunkett, Chuck (May 2, 2003). Mister Rogers' star status now reaches heavenly proportions, Pittsburgh Tribune Review. Retrieved on January 9, 2011.
44. ^ http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/fredrogers/a/mr_rogers.htm
45. ^ http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/m/mrrogers.htm
46. ^ http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/mrrogers.asp

External links

• Fred Rogers at the Internet Movie Database
• PBS Kids: Official Site
• The Fred M. Rogers Center
• Fred Rogers' Company
• Kit and Morgan Benson (Feb 27, 2003). "Fred Rogers". Educator, Television Show Host. Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7216800. Retrieved Aug 18, 2011. 

Persondata
Name	Rogers, Fred
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	20 March 1928
Place of birth	Latrobe, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Date of death	27 February 2003
Place of death	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.