Some forebode him " America ’s Cowboy Philosopher , " and others know him as " The Cherokee Kid , " but to generations of fans , Will Rogers was a trailblazing role player , radio personality , author and public speaker who is stillregarded as"an unofficial ambassador for the United States . " Here are seven facts you may not roll in the hay about this iconic multitalent .
1. He Was Born in the White House, Sort Of
Rogers wasbornon election Clarence Day ( Nov. 4 , 1879 ) in a seven - room log - walled house make out as the " White House on the Verdigris River . " The house dish as a meeting place for community gatherings , parties , weddings , funerals , and more for the surround Cherokee governed land , which would later become Oologah , Oklahoma .
2. His Father Was a Senator and Judge
Rogers ' father , Clement Vann Rogers , was a Cherokee senator and a evaluator who aid write the Oklahoma Old Ironsides while his mother , Mary America Schrimsher Rogers , was adescendant of a Cherokee chiefand philanthropic mother of eight .
3. He Was a Cherokee Indian
Rogers was a lofty and outspoken penis of the Cherokee Nation , although many fence his identity andconnection to his roots was erasedas a result of the public prejudice and stereotyping of Native Americans at the time . He leave home five years before his homeland was renamed Oklahoma and became an prescribed part of the U.S. , butlater write , " We spoiled the best Territory in the World to make a nation . " He’salso bed for the line , " My ancestor did n’t come over on the Mayflower , but they met the boat . "
4. Rope Tricks Were His Specialty
Ginger Rogers grew up forge withTexas longhornsand showed a particular penchant for rope tricks . His twirling talent finally led to gigs at Wild West show and on Broadway in theZiegfeld Follies , over - the - top theatrical output that are credited with transforming modern - day musicals .
5. He Starred in Both Silent and Talking Movies
6. He Was, for a Time, the Honorary Mayor of Beverly Hills
For a few abbreviated calendar week in 1926 , Rogers served as honorary city manager of Beverly Hills . However , the California Legislature quickly reign thatthe true town mayorwas the president of the board of trustees and boot Rogers from billet . In responsehe gag , " I ai n’t the first mayor that ’s been kick out . "
7. He Never Met a Man He Didn’t Like
In addition to a thriving photographic film vocation , Rogers became do it forhis witty sense of humor and sententious phrases , including " I never met a man I did n’t wish " and " A humanity that do n’t get laid a horse , there is something the matter with him . " Over the course of 19 geezerhood , hepublished approximately2 million words in the frame of six Good Book , over 3,600 paper columns and many magazine articles .
