It’s A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood: A Look Back At Mr. Rogers

Mr. Roger’s Tackling Lessons for Parents and Kids

Mr. Rogers is most famous for his TV programming aimed at teaching children and teaching them how to have confidence in themselves and learn about life and the world around them. He also created a show called Mister Rogers Talks To Parents About… which spoke directly to parents and typically focused on one specific issue at a time.

He aimed to help parents know how to deal with the problems and questions their children were facing. Mr. Rogers also approached many different topics and especially made time to tackle tough issues children face. For example, he had an episode #1101 which discusses what happens when a pet dies. Mr. Rogers held a small funeral for a pet fish.

Mr. Rogers’ Personality

Mr. Rogers initially studied at Dartmouth College but ended up leaving to enroll at Rollins College in Florida.He majored in Music Composition and also met his wife Sara. Many years later, in 2002, he returned to Dartmouth to deliver a commencement address. He said “So in all that you do, in all of your life, I wish you the strength and the grace to make those choices which will allow you and your neighbor to become the best of whoever you are. Congratulations to you all.” Mr. Rogers also felt that desks were constricting and made barriers between people so in his office in the studio he didn’t have one. Rather his office only had a leather recliner, a sofa, an easy chair, an old-school phone, and photographs.

When Mr. Roger’s got mad or frustrated, his favorite expression to mutter was “Mercy”. Even with the patience of a saint! Mr. Rogers did fairly well financially speaking and when he passed away had accumulated an estimated net worth of $8 million. However, for his whole life he lived in a modest home in Philadelphia and walked to work most days. Michael G. Long, Mr. Rogers biographer, comments on the question of if Mr. Rogers was gay. Long says, “Perhaps we should turn the camera lens toward ourselves and assure Fred Rogers that we like him just as he was: the opposite of machismo, a loving husband and father, a close friend and employer of gays, a man who grew to support at least one friend’s desire for an openly gay relationship and, above all else, a compassionate human being who assured each of us that, no matter who we are or what we do, we are always and everywhere lovable and capable of loving anyone. Just as they are.”