I grew up in the glory days of children's television on PBS: Sesame Street, The Electric Company, and, of course, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. All three of these shows were very important to me and I have fond memories of all of them. But if I had to choose one as a favorite, it would be Mr. Rogers'. There was something so magical, yet so real, about the show. Of course, at the time, I had no idea that what Fred Rogers had created was so unique in children's television. All I knew was that he wanted to be my friend and my neighbor! Also, at the time, I had no idea that, while he wasn't exactly my next door neighbor, he only lived about 30 minutes away in Pittsburgh!
Fred McFeely Rogers was born February 20, 1928 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. His own childhood was often a lonely time for him. He was overweight, sickly, and suffered from allergies, which led his mother to discourage him from venturing outdoors. Fred used this time to learn music and use his imagination by playing with puppets. But the best times of his childhood were spent with his grandfather, Fred McFeely, who encouraged him to explore the outside world. The most important lesson young Fred learned from his grandfather was how special he thought his grandson was. His grandfather told him one day, "There's only one person in the world like you. And I happen to like you just the way you are." Years later, this would ultimately be the basis for Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.
After high school, Fred Rogers attended Dartmouth College for one year. He then transferred to Rollins College in Florida, where he graduated, in 1951, with a degree in music composition -- and met his future wife, Joanne. His next stop was New York City and the new world of television, where he worked as a production assistant for NBC. Two years later, he moved back to Western Pennsylvania and helped to create WQED in Pittsburgh. There he would go on to create Children's Corner, with Josie Carey. This is where he would develop many of the puppet characters we know and love from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, like King Friday and Daniel Striped Tiger.
In 1962, Fred moved to Toronto to work for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) where he created a show called Misterogers. He stayed there for two years before returning to Pittsburgh and WQED, where he would eventually incorporate these 15-minute episodes into a 30-minute show called Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Initially, the show was shown only in Pittsburgh, but in 1967 the show received major financial support from Sears-Roebuck Foundation, which allowed it to be available for PBS stations all across the country.
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood would go on to run for over 30 years. During that time, Fred Rogers touched the lives of countless young children. He achieved this by speaking directly to the children watching at home and never speaking down to them. For those of us who watched him, he was a comforting presence in our lives. Every day, we knew he would walk through that door, asking us to be his neighbor, changing into his cardigan and sneakers and spending time with us. We learned about ourselves and about the world through Fred's thoughtful and simple way. We knew it was time for Make Believe when the trolley would show up. It was such a wonderful world with King Friday, Queen Sara, Daniel Striped Tiger, X the Owl, Lady Elaine, and many others. And we loved seeing Mr. Rogers's real neighbors, like Mr. McFeely, Chef Brockett, and Handyman Negri.
In 2000, Fred decided to stop making new episodes, although repeats continued for many years on several PBS stations. The last new show aired in August 2001.
Fred Rogers passed away on February 27, 2003, from stomach cancer. His wife Joanne, and their two sons, James and John, survived him. Although he will be greatly missed by his family and legions of fans, I don't think he will ever be forgotten for his contributions to children's television and to the lives of children everywhere.
For more on Fred Rogers:
Accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 24th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards (make sure you have a hanky!)
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood - a website maintained by PBS for the show.
Fred Rogers: America's Favorite Neighbor - A three-hour documentary, narrated by Pittsburgh's own Michael Keaton.
Speedy Delivery - Tells the story of how David Newell (Mr. McFeely) works to keep the legacy of Fred Rogers alive.
And here are a few special books by and about Fred Rogers:
You Are Special: Words of Wisdom For All Ages From a Beloved Neighbor by Fred Rogers
Life's Journeys According to Mister Rogers: Things to Remember Along the Way by Fred Rogers
I'm Proud of You: My Friendship With Fred Rogers by Tim Madigan
Mister Rogers: Good Neighbor to America's Children by JoAnn DiFranco
Parenting advice from Fred Rogers:
The Mister Rogers Parenting Book: Helping to Understand Your Young Child
Mister Rogers' Plan & Play Book: Hundreds of Preschool Activities for Parents & Child Care Providers
Many Ways to Say I Love You: Wisdom for Parents and Children From Mister Rogers
-- Post by Tracy
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