The most popular man in America during the 1920’s and early 1930’s was undoubtedly Will Rogers. The glib- mouthed cowboy and trick rope performer was a
spokesman and supporter of the common man and his monologues made them laugh as well as think.
Born on a ranch near Oologah, Oklahoma on November 4, 1879, Will was part Cherokee on both his mother’s and father’s side. Will had eight brothers and sisters,
only four of whom reached adulthood on the rugged frontier of the 19th Century. His mother died when he was 10, leaving Will’s father to raise the family
alone. A tough man, Clem Rogers was proud of his Cherokee heritage and instilled that pride in his children. He was a very successful and wealthy rancher,
and was always very involved in politics. Clem Rogers had very strong feelings on what his children needed to accomplish with their lives.
Will was, according to his father and his father’s standards, wild and irresponsible. Taught by a freed slave, Will learned to use a lasso as a tool for
working Texas Longhorn cattle on the family ranch. He became an expert at roping, constantly practicing more and more difficult tricks. He was also an
adept wrangler and cowboy.
As he grew older and more expert, his roping skills earned him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for throwing three lassos at once: One rope
caught the running horse’s neck, the other would hoop around the rider and the third swooped up under the horse to loop all four legs.
Will had not yet turned 20 when he left home over conflicts with his father. He enjoyed travel, using his cowboy skills and rope twirling to earn a living
as he traveled around the country. At the turn of the century, he returned to Oologah, at his father’s request, to show support for turning the Oklahoma
Territory into the 40th State. While he was there, he met a pretty girl named Betty Blake who he would eventually marry. But once again, he and his father
disagreed over the way Will wanted to live his life, and once again Will left Oologah to travel, less than a year after arriving.
This time, he was gone for two years, keeping in touch with Betty Blake through post cards as he traveled all over the United States, South America, and
other far off places, practicing his skills as a cowboy. Eventually he signed up with a Wild West Show where he became enormously popular because of the
complexities of his trick roping and riding – he could rope six horses and riders at one time as well as perform many other complicated tricks. The show
traveled all over the world and Will with it.
He returned home and asked Betty to marry him. She quickly agreed. Their honeymoon to Niagara Falls (as well as eventually many other places) was financed
by his stint as “The Cherokee Kid” in another Wild West Show, where he performed his rope tricks, usually while doing some extraordinary riding on his
horse. Will and Betty were on the road for several years.
The last performance of the Wild Wild West Show was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City and the couple decided to stay in New York for a while
after Will was offered a generous 6 week contract to perform at a Vaudevillian theater . Unfortunately, the enormous popularity of trick roping and horse
back riding of The Cherokee Kid at a Wild West Show did not extend to the bawdier vaudeville stage. Will went several months without working. Betty was
pregnant and soon to give birth and money was running out.
In desperation, Will accepted a last minute replacement job at a vaudeville theater in Brooklyn. He arrived just as he was supposed to go on stage (but
without his horse – which was delayed in traffic). As a “spur of the moment” decision, he decided to drop the monicker “The Cherokee Kid” and instead used
his real name. Will was very nervous. His wife was in labor. His horse, an integral part of his act, had not arrived. As a consequence, he flubbed a
rope trick and out of nervousness and frustration he began to simply chat with the audience in his normal, folksy, witty manner. It was a huge success.
The audience was delighted with his homespun comments on politics and politicians and almost anything else he had read in the paper.
He became enormously popular on the vaudeville circuit and worked for years for the famous Flo Ziegfield. He never knew what he was going to say and only
prepared for his monologues by reading the paper and observing life around him.
By now, he and Betty were the parents of three children and they decided to move to California, where he bought a large, non-working ranch. He began making
silent movies, using his roping and riding skills, and soon became extremely popular in that medium also.
During this time, he met a young pilot named Wiley Post, whose job was to fly the film cannisters from the location of the shoot to the studio for processing.
Wiley was also from Oklahoma and part Cherokee. Both shared a love of airplanes, adventure and travel and they became lifelong friends. Wiley very often
flew Will wherever his travels demanded. Wiley Post was one of aviation’s first test pilots. In 1931, he became famous in his own right as he flew around
the world in eight days, 15 hours, and 51 minutes, breaking the previous record of 21 days.
Will’s travels and popularity were worldwide. He met presidents and kings and dictators and royalty of every kind. He met rickshaw drivers and farmers and
workers from every walk of life. Probably his most long-lived quote is “I never met a man I didn’t like.”
When the talking movies began, Will Rogers became enormously popular, perhaps the biggest star of the 1920’s. He and Betty and their children thrived.
The stockmarket crash of 1929 ignited further Will Rogers’ humanitarian instincts. He watched his old time friends from Oklahoma lose their homes and livelihood
and determined that he would somehow help them. He traveled tirelessly, organizing benefits and raising money to help those affected by the depression.
He talked personally to Henry Ford and John D. Rockefeller and convinced them both to contribute matching funds. He and Wiley Post traveled 151 days and
nights, making speeches and raising money. Later, he would give his own money to disaster victims and raise many thousands more for the Red Cross and Salvation
Army.
He became the hero of the common man, all of whom adored and loved him. He made them laugh with his political comments but at the same time he made them
think.
His jokes and ribbing were so good natured, even the politicians thought highly of him.
His comments and humor were prominently displayed when he wrote the newspaper column, “Says Will Rogers,” where his pithy comments and political observations
were quoted and requoted.
In 1935, Will and Wiley decided to fly to Alaska. It was a place Will had always wanted to visit and he finally found the perfect excuse: There was a political
appropriation needed for Alaskan defense at the time. Unfortunately, it was the last trip Will and Wiley would take. The airplane crashed and both men
were killed.
In mourning, the world reflected on Will Rogers’ words: “Live your life so that whenever you lose, you’re ahead.” and “If you live life right, death is
a joke as far as fear is concerned.”
Will was the star of Broadway and 71 movies of the 1920s and 1930s; a popular broadcaster; and the author of more than 4,000 syndicated newspaper columns.
He also wrote six books, was a guest at the White House and his opinions were sought by the leaders of the world. During his lifetime, he traveled around
the globe three times. His unsurpassed lariat feats are recorded in the classic movie, “The Ropin’ Fool.”
Through it all, Will always considered himself a simple Oklahoma cowboy. He eagerly embraced his roles as: caring member of the human race, American, Cherokee,
and faithful husband and father. He dearly loved his wife, Betty, and their four children.
Will Rogers left a lasting legacy with his movies, writings and stories. All over Oklahoma and in other parts of the nation there are many memorials to
Will Rogers, the man who made American laugh during its darkest days and who was beloved for his caring and humanitarian ways.
Will Rogers Quotes
On His Origins
I am just an old country boy in a big town trying to get along. I have been eating pretty regular and the reason I have been is because I have stayed an
old country boy.
I was not a child prodigy, because a child prodigy is a child who knows as much when it is a child as it does when it grows up.
I’m not a real movie star. I’ve still got the same wife I started out with twenty-eight years ago.
In the early days of the Indian Territory, there were no such things as birth certificates. You being there was certificate enough.
My ancestors didn’t come over on the Mayflower, but they were there to meet the boat.
On Cowboy Wisdom
Never slap a man who’s chewing tobacco.
Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.
Always drink upstream from the herd.
If you’re riding’ ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it’s still there.
Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier’n puttin’ it back.
After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you’re
full of bull, keep your mouth shut.
Don’t squat with your spurs on.
If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.
It don’t take a genius to spot a goat in a flock of sheep.
When you give a lesson in meanness to a critter or a person don’t be surprised if they learn their lesson.
There are three kinds of men. The ones that learn by readin’. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.
“There is something about riding down the street on a prancing horse that makes you feel like something, even when you ain’t a thing.”
On Politics
I belong to no organized party. I am a Democrat.
“I don’t make jokes, I just watch the Government and report the facts…”
“Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate; now what’s going to happen to us with both a Senate and a House?”
On account of being a democracy and run by the people, we are the only nation in the world that has to keep a government four years, no matter what it does.
“We can get all lathering at the time over some political campaign promise, or some conference pledge, but if the thing just drags along long enough we
forget what it was that was originally promised. The short memories of the American voter is what keeps our politicians in office.”
“Never blame a legislative body for not doing something. When they do nothing, that don’t hurt anybody. When they do something is when they become dangerous.”
With Congress, every time they make a joke it’s a law, and every time they make a law it’s a joke.
This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as when the baby gets hold of a hammer.
The taxpayers are sending congressmen on expensive trips abroad. It might be worth it except they keep coming back!
“It’s just got so that 90 percent of the people in this country don’t give a damn. Politics ain’t worrying this country one tenth as much as parking space.”
“Things in our country run in spite of government. Not by aid of it!”
“We shouldn’t elect a President; we should elect a magician.”
“If we got one-tenth of what was promised to us in these acceptance speeches there wouldn’t be any inducement to go to heaven.”
“Elect ’em for a six-year term; not allow ’em to succeed themselves. That would keep their mind off politics.”
“Now if there is one thing that we do worse than any other nation, it is try and manage somebody else’s affairs.”
“I don’t care how little your country is, you got a right to run it like you want to. When the big nations quit meddling, then the world will have peace.”
Diplomacy is the art of saying ‘Nice doggie’ until you can find a rock.
“A diplomat tells you what he don’t believe himself, and the man he’s tellin’ it to don’t believe him, so it balances.”
“Diplomats meet and eat, then rush out and wire their Government they’ve completely fooled the other fella.”
“Our foreign dealings are an Open Book, generally a Check Book.”
“Liberty don’t work as good in practice as it does in speeches.”
Why don’t they pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting anybody from learning anything? If it works as well as prohibition did, in five years Americans
would be the smartest race of people on Earth.
Everything is changing. People are taking the comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.
If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can’t it get us out?
On War
You can’t say civilization isn’t advancing; in every war they kill you in a new way.
“That’s one good thing about wars. It takes smarter men to figure out who loses ’em than it does to start ’em…The more ignorant you are the quicker you
fight.”
On Lawyers
People are getting smarter nowadays; they are letting lawyers, instead of their conscience, be their guide.
The minute that you read something that you can’t understand, you can almost be sure it was drawn up by a lawyer.
On Economics and Finance
America is a land of opportunity and don’t ever forget it.
“We’ll show the world we are prosperous, even if we have to go broke to do it.”
The nation is prosperous on the whole, but how much prosperity is there in a hole?
“Lord, the money we do spend on Government and it’s not one bit better than the government we got for one third the money twenty years ago.”
Income tax has made liars out of more Americans than golf.
Don’t gamble; take all your savings and buy some good stock and hold it till it goes up, then sell it. If it don’t go up, don’t buy it.
The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back in your pocket.
“I maintain that it should cost as much to get married as to get divorced. Make it look like marriage is worth as much as divorce, even if it ain’t.”
“It’s not what you pay a man but what he costs you that counts.”
ABOUT GROWING OLDER…
First, Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.
Second, The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.
Third, Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people to know “why” I look this way. I’ve traveled a long way and some of the roads
weren’t paved.
Fourth, When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of Algebra.
Fifth, You know you are getting old when every thing either dries up or leaks.
Sixth, I don’t know how I got over the hill without getting to the top.
Seventh, One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young.
Eighth, One must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been.
Ninth, Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.
Tenth, Long ago when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today it’s called golf.
And finally, if you don’t learn to laugh at trouble, you won’t have anything to laugh at when you are old.
On Common Sense
“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”
“An ignorant person is one who doesn’t know what you have just found out.”
“If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.”
“Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.”
“Nothing you can’t spell will ever work.”
“Everything is funny as long as it is happening to somebody else.”
“The American people are very generous people and will forgive almost any weakness, with the possible exception of stupidity.”
“Everyone is ignorant, only on different subjects.”
“A man only learns in two ways, one by reading, and the other by association with smarter people.”
“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.”
“There are 2 theories to arguing with a woman…neither works.”
“Never miss a good chance to shut up.”
“When you’re throwin’ your weight around, be ready to have it thrown around by somebody else.”
“No man is great if he thinks he is.”
“People are marvelous in their generosity, if they just know the cause is there.”
“No matter how much I may exaggerate it, it must have a certain amount of truth…”
“Now rumor travels faster, but it don’t stay put as long as truth”
“We are here just for a spell and then pass on…so get a few laughs and do the best you can. Live your life so that whenever you lose, you are ahead.”
“You can always joke good naturedly with a big man, but be sure he is a big man before you joke about him.”
“Nobody wants to be called common people, especially common people.”
“There is nothing as stupid as an educated man if you get him off the thing he was educated in.”
“We can’t all be heroes because someone has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by.”
“About the Scopes “monkey” trial…”I don’t know why some of these states want to have their ancestry established by law. There must be a suspicion of doubt
somewhere.”
From “Reader’s Digest” article “The Best of Will Rogers” condensed from the book The Best of Will Rogers, published by Crown Publishers, Inc., 1979.
I love a dog. He does nothing for political reasons.
Congress is so strange. A man gets up to speak and says nothing, nobody listens and then everybody disagrees.
I really can’t see any advantage of having one of your party in as President. I would rather be able to critize a man than have to apologize for him.
I’t’s no disgrace not to be able to run a country nowadays, but it is a disgrace to keep trying when you know you can’t.
It looks to me like any man that wants to be President in times like these lacks something.
They’ve already started arguing over who will be the speaker at next year’s conventions. What they better worry about is who is going to listen.
There should be a moratorium called candidates’ speeches. From now on, they are just talking themselves out of votes.
A President-elect’s popularity is the shortest lived of any public man’s. It only lasts till he picks his Cabinet.
The promising season ends on Election Day. That same night, the alibi season begins and lasts for the next four years.
Our government is the only people that just love to spend money without being compelled to, at all. But the government is the only people that don’t have
to worry where it is coming from.
Last year we said: “Things can’t go on like this!” And they didn’t –they got worse.
In Washington, yesterday, everybody I tried to talk to was a Presidential candidate. Both houses spent all week arguing politics.
Did you ever figure it out? They are the only people that are paid to do one job and do every other one there is but that.
This inflation was brought on by the actions of many peoples of the whole world, and its weight will be lifted by the actions of many peoples of the whole
world, and not only by a Republican or a Democrat.
With old inflation riding the headlines, I have read till I am bleary-eyed. We are living in an age of explanations, but no two things that’ve been done
to us have been explained twice the same way, by even the same man.
When it comes to a showdown, Washington must never forget who rules –the people.
Be thankful we’re not getting all the government we’re paying for.
Broad-minded is just another way of saying a fellow is too lazy to form an opinion.
Communism is like prohibition, it is a good idea, but it won’t work.
Communism to me is one-third practice and two-thirds explanation.
I wonder if it isn’t just cowardice instead of generosity that makes us give tips.
Lord, let me live until I die.
Our public men are speaking every day on something, but they ain’t saying anything.
The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn’t get worse every time Congress meets.
The person with the best job in the country is the vice president. All he has to do is get up every morning and say, ”How is the president?”
The trouble with practical jokes is that very often they get elected.
Things will get better — despite our efforts to improve them.
“We are all here for a spell; get all the good laughs you can.”
Will Rogers