Will Rogers

A folksy humorist and political pundit whose homespun philosophy and irreverent wit struck a deep nerve in the public consciousness, Will Rogers became one of the most beloved performers in the nation on radio, film and the stage. Rogers first rose to stardom in Wild West shows and on the Broadway stage with the Ziegfeld Follies, where he showcased his exceptional lariat and horse riding skills while delivering humorous monologues about the day's headlines. Because of his immense popularity in New York, Hollywood naturally came calling and Rogers moved to the West Coast to start a film career. Though he made 48 films during the silent era, Rogers was unable to fully project the folky charm he easily conveyed in his monologues. He left the film business in 1927 for a short time and focused on world travel, becoming an avid advocate of commercial air service, which he expressed in his daily newspaper column and later on his popular radio show. Rogers returned to films in the sound era and found great success basically playing variations of himself in comedies like "They Had to See Paris" (1929), "A Connecticut Yankee" (1931), "The State Fair" (1933) and "Doctor Bull" (1934). But his love of aviation led to Rogers' untimely death in an airplane accident in Alaska in 1935, leaving a country bereft.