Will Rogers

William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American cowboy, humorist, vaudeville performer, and actor.

Early life

Rogers was born on November 4, 1879 in Indian Territory, near the modern town of Oologah, Oklahoma , into a prosperous ranching family. His parents, Clem and Mary, both were of Cherokee descent. Throughout his youth, Rogers was enrolled in several private schools, none of which he stayed at very long. He was more passionate about roping, which he learned at a young age under the tutelage of Uncle Dan Walker, a freed slave that his father employed. After giving up on school, he spent his early adult years working on ranches in Texas and New Mexico. He eventually returned home to find his father had moved to Claremore and became a wheat farmer. He was unsuited for farming, and as more white settlers moved to Oklahoma at the turn of the century he realized that ranching was becoming a thing of the past. In 1901, Rogers decided to move to Argentina with a friend after hearing stories about a thriving ranching community in the country. They finally arrived in Buenos Aires in May 1902, however their stay was short lived. Rogers did not have enough money to invest in property and was handicapped because he did not speak Spanish, and decided to move to South Africa after only a few months. In South Africa, he encountered Texas Jack’s Wild West Show and after an impressive audition he was offered a job. In 1903 Rogers left Texas Jack, with a glowing recommendation, and traveled to New Zealand and Australia before returning to Oklahoma in April 1904.