Will Rogers

William Penn Adair “Will” Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was a Cherokee-American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer and actor.

Known as Oklahoma's favorite son, Rogers was born to a well off Indian Territory family and learned to ride horses and use a lariat so well that he was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for throwing three ropes at once—one around the neck of a horse, another around the horse's rider, and a third around all four legs of the horse. During his life he traveled around the world three times, made 71 movies (50 silent films and 21 "talkies"), wrote more than 4,000 nationally syndicated newspaper columns, making him a world-famous figure. Also,Will Rogers Family has a County named after them in Oklahoma. It currently has 8 cities within its borders.The cities within the borders of the Roger's County are named Catoosa, Chelsea, Claremore, Foyil, Inola, Oologah, Talala, Verdigris. The county was officially founded prior to statehood on January 26, 1907 and was originally named Cooweescoowee. However, residents protested the name and the county was renamed Rogers after Clement (Clem) Vann Rogers, a mixed heritage Cherokee rancher and father of Will Rogers. Rogers County consists of a total area of 711 square miles - 675 square miles is land, and 36 square miles is water.

By the mid-1930s, Rogers was loved by the American people, and was the highest-paid movie star in Hollywood at the time. During an around-the-world trip with pilot Wiley Post, Rogers died when their small airplane crashed near Barrow, Alaska Territory in 1935.

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Category:1879 births
Category:1935 deaths
Category:Aviation deaths in the United States
Category:American silent movie actors
Category:American radio personalities
Category:Comedians from Oklahoma
Category:Actors from Oklahoma
Category:Vaudeville performers