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64-665: In a 2001 press conference to announce his retirement, Gramm had this to say about the bill: I wrote the first Reagan budget – the Gramm–Latta budget that rebuilt national defense and that laid the foundation for a program of peace through strength ; the Reagan program that tore down the Berlin Wall, that liberated Eastern Europe, that transformed the Soviet Union and that changed the world. This United States federal legislation article

128-601: A World War II hero, played his father in two films, and was elected to Congress. Mary became a Broadway actress, and James "Jim" was a newspaperman and rancher; Fred died of diphtheria at age two. The family lived in New York, but they spent summers in Oklahoma. In 1911, Rogers bought a 20-acre (8.1 ha) ranch near Claremore, Oklahoma , which he intended to use as his retirement home. He paid US$ 500 an acre, equal to $ 16,350 per acre today. From about 1925 to 1928, Rogers traveled

192-488: A candidate's image? Ballyhoo: "I hope there is some sane people who will appreciate dignity and not showmanship in their choice for the presidency" (October 5). What of ugly campaign rumors? Don't worry: "The things they whisper aren't as bad as what they say out loud" (October 12). After Rogers gained recognition as a humorist-philosopher in vaudeville, he gained a national audience in acting and literary careers from 1915 to 1935. In these years, Rogers increasingly expressed

256-550: A counterclaim by the CSP alleging that the trademark application had been fraudulent, in August 2013 the ACSF announced that it had settled the lawsuit with the CSP and would cancel its trademark claim. Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of

320-548: A cowboy. Rogers's cowboy was an unfettered man free of institutional restraints, with no bureaucrats to order his life. When he came back to the United States and worked in Wild West shows, he slowly began adding the occasional spoken ad lib, such as "Swingin' a rope's all right... if your neck ain't in it." Audiences responded to his laconic but pointed humor, and were just as fascinated by his frontier Oklahoma twang. By 1916, Rogers

384-687: A fear that Europeans would go to war again. He recommended isolationism for the United States. He reasoned that for the moment, American needs could best be served by concentrating on domestic questions and avoiding foreign entanglements. He commented: "Rogers' philosophy was reactionary, dispiriting and provincial, despite every affectation of bonhomie and tolerance. It scorned ideas and the people who held them, it relied on vague evolution rather than direct action, its fixed smile concealed rigidity of opinion that middle America need not be disturbed from its own prejudices and limitations."—Film critic David Thomson in A Biographical History of Film (1976) Rogers

448-542: A guest of U.S. Ambassador Dwight Morrow . Rogers gave numerous after-dinner speeches, became a popular convention speaker, and gave dozens of benefits for victims of floods, droughts, or earthquakes. Rogers traveled to Asia to perform in 1931, and to Central and South America the following year. In 1934, he made a globe-girdling tour and returned to play the lead in Eugene O'Neill 's stage play Ah, Wilderness! . He had tentatively agreed to go on loan from Fox to MGM to star in

512-477: A host of other controversial topics in a way that found general acclaim from a national audience with no one offended. His aphorisms, couched in humorous terms, were widely quoted, for example, "I am not a member of an organized political party. I am a Democrat." One of Rogers's most famous sayings was "I never met a man I didn't like" and he even provided an epigram on this famous epigram: When I die, my epitaph , or whatever you call those signs on gravestones,

576-430: A nonpartisan point of view and became a friend of presidents and a confidant of the great. Loved for his cool mind and warm heart, he was often considered the successor to such greats as Artemus Ward and Mark Twain . Rogers was not the first entertainer to use political humor before his audience. Others, such as Broadway comedian Raymond Hitchcock and Britain's Sir Harry Lauder , preceded him by several years. Bob Hope

640-643: A policy of peace through strength in his fifth annual message to Congress, the 1793 State of the Union Address . He said: There is a rank due to the United States among nations which will be withheld, if not absolutely lost, by the reputation of weakness. If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it; if we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known that we are at all times ready for war. In Federalist No. 24 , Alexander Hamilton argued for peace through strength by stating that strong garrisons in

704-576: A simple cowboy; his characters evolved to explore the meaning of innocence in ordinary life. In his last movies, Rogers explores a society fracturing into competing classes from economic pressures. Throughout his career, Rogers was a link to a better, more comprehensible past. In 1926, the high-circulation weekly magazine The Saturday Evening Post financed a European tour for Rogers, in return for publication of his articles. Rogers made whirlwind visits to numerous European capitals and met with both international figures and common people. His articles reflected

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768-735: A small town banker ( David Harum ) in 1934, and a rustic politician ( Judge Priest ) in 1934. He was also in County Chairman (1935), Steamboat Round the Bend (1935), and In Old Kentucky (1935). His favorite director was John Ford . Rogers appeared in 21 feature films alongside such noted performers as Lew Ayres , Billie Burke , Richard Cromwell , Jane Darwell , Andy Devine , Janet Gaynor , Rochelle Hudson , Boris Karloff , Myrna Loy , Joel McCrea , Hattie McDaniel , Ray Milland , Maureen O'Sullivan , ZaSu Pitts , Dick Powell , Bill "Bojangles" Robinson , Mickey Rooney , and Peggy Wood . He

832-433: A travelogue series in 1927. After that, he did not return to the screen until beginning work in the ' talkies ' in 1929. Rogers made 48 silent movies, but with the arrival of sound in 1929, he became a top star in that medium. His first sound film, They Had to See Paris (1929), gave him the chance to exercise his verbal wit. He played a homespun farmer ( State Fair) in 1933, an old-fashioned doctor ( Dr. Bull ) in 1933,

896-619: A weekly column, titled "Slipping the Lariat Over", at the end of 1922. He had already published a book of wisecracks and had begun a steady stream of humor books. Through the columns for the McNaught Syndicate between 1922 and 1935, as well as his personal appearances and radio broadcasts, he won the loving admiration of the American people, poking jibes in witty ways at the issues of the day and prominent people—often politicians. He wrote from

960-541: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Peace through strength " Peace through strength " is a phrase that suggests that military power can help preserve peace . It has been used by many leaders from Roman Emperor Hadrian in the second century AD to former US President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. The concept has long been associated with realpolitik . The idea has critics, with Andrew Bacevich stating, " 'Peace through strength' easily enough becomes 'peace through war. ' " The phrase and

1024-615: Is a slogan of Taiwanese nationalism , meaning to emphasize Taiwan's sovereignty, strengthen its military power, and work with the United States and Japan to guard against possible aggression by the People's Republic of China . Lai Ching-te , the eighth president of the Republic of China (Taiwan), emphasized "peace through strength" even before he became president. On June 19, 2024, president Lai reiterated that "peace must rely on strength, which

1088-540: Is going to read: "I joked about every prominent man of my time, but I never met a man I dident [ sic ] like." I am so proud of that, I can hardly wait to die so it can be carved. Rogers was born on his parents' Dog Iron Ranch in the Cherokee Nation of Indian Territory , near present-day Oologah, Oklahoma , now in Rogers County , named in honor of his father, Clement V. Rogers . The house in which he

1152-501: Is named in honor of him. He served several terms in the Cherokee Senate. Roach (1980) presents a sociological-psychological assessment of the relationship between Will and his father during the formative boyhood and teenage years. Clement had high expectations for his son and wanted him to be more responsible and business-minded. Will was more easygoing and oriented toward the loving affection offered by his mother, Mary, rather than

1216-642: Is often claimed he took a job breaking in horses for the British Army , but the Boer War had ended three months earlier. Rogers was hired at James Piccione's ranch near Mooi River Station in the Pietermaritzburg district of Natal . Rogers began his show business career as a trick roper in "Texas Jack's Wild West Circus" in South Africa: He [Texas Jack] had a little Wild West aggregation that visited

1280-528: Is the best known political humorist to follow Rogers's example. Radio was the exciting new medium, and Rogers became a star there as well, broadcasting his newspaper pieces. From 1929 to 1935, he made radio broadcasts for the Gulf Oil Company. This weekly Sunday evening show, The Gulf Headliners , ranked among the top radio programs in the country. Since Rogers easily rambled from one subject to another, reacting to his studio audience, he often lost track of

1344-480: Is to say avoiding war by preparing for war to achieve peace". For Andrew Bacevich , "belief in the efficacy of military power almost inevitably breeds the temptation to put that power to work. 'Peace through strength' easily enough becomes 'peace through war. ' " Jim George of Australian National University used the term to describe part of what he argued was the Straussian and neoconservative foreign policy of

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1408-529: The Cherokee Nation , in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma ), and is known as "Oklahoma's Favorite Son". As an entertainer and humorist, he traveled around the world three times, made 71 films (50 silent films and 21 "talkies"), and wrote more than 4,000 nationally syndicated newspaper columns. By the mid-1930s, Rogers was hugely popular in the United States for his leading political wit and

1472-520: The George W. Bush administration . The mock inversion "strength through peace" has been used on occasion to draw criticism to the militaristic system of diplomacy advocated by "peace through strength". Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich adopted the slogan "Strength Through Peace" during his 2008 presidential run as part of his platform as a peace candidate against the Iraq War . During Reagan's presidency,

1536-541: The Kemper Military School at Boonville over the 1897–98 school year. He was a good student and an avid reader of The New York Times , but he dropped out of school after the 10th grade. Rogers later said that he was a poor student, saying that he "studied the Fourth Reader for ten years". He was much more interested in cowboys and horses, and learned to rope and use a lariat . In 1899, Rogers appeared in

1600-541: The MX missile in the 1970s, the missile symbolized "peace through strength." During Barry Goldwater 's 1964 presidential campaign in the United States, the Republican Party spent about $ 5 million on TV ads promoting Goldwater's foreign policy position of "Peace through Strength." In 1980, Ronald Reagan , who had campaigned for Goldwater in 1964, used the phrase during his election challenge against Jimmy Carter by accusing

1664-612: The Pacific Palisades and set up his own production company. While Rogers enjoyed film acting, his appearances in silent movies suffered from the obvious restrictions of silence, as he had gained his fame as a commentator on stage. He wrote many of the title cards appearing in his films. In 1923, he began a one-year stint for Hal Roach and made 12 pictures. Among the films he made for Roach in 1924 were three directed by Rob Wagner : Two Wagons Both Covered , Going to Congress , and Our Congressman . He made two other feature silents and

1728-531: The self-made man , the common man, who believed in America, in progress, and in the American Dream of upward mobility. His humor never offended even those who were the targets of it. In the 1920s, the United States was happy and prosperous in various ways (leading to the nickname Roaring Twenties ), but it also suffered from rapid change and social tensions. Some people were disenchanted by, and alienated from,

1792-516: The 1935 movie version of the play. But, concerned about a fan's reaction to the "facts-of-life" talk between his character and the latter's son, he declined the role. He and Wiley Post made plans to fly to Alaska that summer. Rogers was a Democrat but has historically been known as apolitical. He was friends with every president starting with Theodore Roosevelt , and he notably supported Republican Calvin Coolidge over John W. Davis in 1924. During

1856-605: The Anti-Bunk Party. His campaign promise was that, if elected, he would resign. Every week, from Memorial Day through Election Day, Rogers caricatured the farcical humors of grave campaign politics. On election day he declared victory and resigned (he did not actually receive any state electoral votes). Asked what issues would motivate voters? Prohibition: "What's on your hip is bound to be on your mind" (July 26). Asked if there should be presidential debates? Yes: "Joint debate—in any joint you name" (August 9). How about appeals to

1920-562: The New York area in those years. Rogers could make a film, yet easily still rehearse and perform in the Follies . He eventually appeared in most of the Follies , from 1916 to 1925. Hollywood discovered Rogers in 1918, as Samuel Goldwyn gave him the title role in Laughing Bill Hyde . A three-year contract with Goldwyn, at triple the Broadway salary, moved Rogers west. He bought a ranch in

1984-536: The Paint Clan. Unlike his father Clement's people, Mary's Cherokee relatives had been expelled from Georgia under the Indian Removal Act of 1830 in an exodus known as The Trail of Tears . Of the 16,000 Cherokees driven to Indian Territory (later Oklahoma), 4,000 perished en route . She died of amoebic dysentery when Will was 10 years of age. His father remarried almost three years after her death. Rogers

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2048-535: The Republican Convention of 1928, while criticizing the party platform, Rogers welcomed the nomination of Kaw citizen Charles Curtis as vice president, although he felt the leadership had deliberately kept him from the presidency: "The Republican Party owed him something, but I didn't think they would be so low down as to pay him that way." Four years later, when the Republican leadership attempted to remove

2112-591: The Republican Party since 1980. On assuming office in January 2017, Donald Trump cited the idea of "Peace Through Strength" as central to his overall "America First" foreign policy. As such the introduction to US National Defense Strategy of 2018 states: The US force posture combined with the allies will "preserve peace through strength." The document proceeds to detail what "achieving peace through strength requires." In Taiwan , "peace through strength"

2176-762: The St. Louis Fair as part of the Mulhall Rodeo. Near the end of 1901, when he was 22 years old, he and a friend, Dick Parris, left home hoping to work as gauchos in Argentina . They arrived in Argentina in May 1902, and spent five months trying to make it as ranch owners in the Pampas . Rogers and his partner lost all their money, and he later said, "I was ashamed to send home for more." The two friends separated and Rogers sailed for South Africa . It

2240-613: The United States in 1904, appeared at the Saint Louis World's Fair , and began to try his roping skills on the vaudeville circuits. On a trip to New York City, Rogers was at Madison Square Garden , on April 27, 1905, when a wild steer broke out of the arena and began to climb into the viewing stands. Rogers roped the steer to the delight of the crowd. The feat got front page attention from the newspapers, giving him valuable publicity and an audience eager to see more. Willie Hammerstein saw his vaudeville act, and signed Rogers to appear on

2304-705: The Victoria Roof—which was literally on a rooftop—with his pony. For the next decade, Rogers estimated he worked for 50 weeks a year at the Roof and at the city's myriad vaudeville theaters. Rogers later recalled these early years: In the fall of 1915, Rogers began to appear in Florenz Ziegfeld 's Midnight Frolic . The variety revue began at midnight in the top-floor night club of Ziegfeld's New Amsterdam Theatre , and drew many influential—and regular—customers. By this time, Rogers had refined his act. His monologues on

2368-426: The camps and did a tremendous business. I did some roping and riding, and Jack, who was one of the smartest showmen I ever knew, took a great interest in me. It was he who gave me the idea for my original stage act with my pony. I learned a lot about the show business from him. He could do a bum act with a rope that an ordinary man couldn't get away with, and make the audience think it was great, so I used to study him by

2432-436: The common man? Easy: "You can't make any commoner appeal than I can" (August 16). What does the farmer need? Obvious: "He needs a punch in the jaw if he believes that either of the parties cares a damn about him after the election" (August 23). Can voters be fooled? Darn tootin': "Of all the bunk handed out during a campaign the biggest one of all is to try and compliment the knowledge of the voter" (September 21). What about

2496-496: The concept date to ancient times. Roman Emperor Hadrian (AD 76–138) is said to have sought "peace through strength or, failing that, peace through threat." Hadrian's Wall was a symbol of the policy. Defunct Newspapers Journals TV channels Websites Other Economics Gun rights Identity politics Nativist Religion Watchdog groups Youth/student groups Miscellaneous Other The first US president , George Washington , enunciated

2560-456: The half-hour time limit in his earliest broadcasts, and was cut off in mid-sentence. To correct this, he brought in a wind-up alarm clock, and its on-air buzzing alerted him to begin wrapping up his comments. By 1935, his show was being announced as "Will Rogers and his Famous Alarm Clock". In 1908, Rogers married Betty Blake (1879–1944), and the couple had four children: Will Rogers Jr. , Mary Amelia, James Blake , and Fred Stone. Will Jr. became

2624-542: The harshness of his father. The personality clash increased after his mother's death when the boy was ten. Young Will went from one venture to another with little success. Only after Will won acclaim in vaudeville did the rift begin to heal. Clement's death in 1911 precluded a full reconciliation. Will Rogers attended school in Indian Territory, at the Willie Halsell College at Vinita in 1895 and 1896, and then

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2688-509: The hour, and from him I learned the great secret of the show business—knowing when to get off. It's the fellow who knows when to quit that the audience wants more of. Grateful for the guidance but anxious to move on, Rogers quit the circus and went to Australia. Texas Jack gave him a reference letter for the Wirth Brothers Circus there, and Rogers continued to perform as a rider and trick roper, and worked on his pony act. He returned to

2752-599: The incumbent of weak, vacillating leadership that invited enemies to attack the United States and its allies. Reagan later considered it one of the mainstays of his foreign policy as president. In 1986, he explained it thus: We know that peace is the condition under which mankind was meant to flourish. Yet peace does not exist of its own will. It depends on us, on our courage to build it and guard it and pass it on to future generations. George Washington's words may seem hard and cold today, but history has proven him right again and again. "To be prepared for war," he said, "is one of

2816-429: The length and breadth of the United States in a "lecture tour". (He began his lectures by pointing out that "A humorist entertains, and a lecturer annoys.") During this time he became the first civilian to fly from coast to coast with pilots flying the mail in early air mail flights. The National Press Club dubbed him "Ambassador at Large of the United States". He visited Mexico City , along with Charles Lindbergh , as

2880-399: The mass-circulation upscale magazine The Saturday Evening Post . Rogers advised Americans to embrace the frontier values of neighborliness and democracy on the domestic front, while remaining clear of foreign entanglements. He took a strong, highly popular stand in favor of aviation, including a military air force of the sort his flying buddy General Billy Mitchell advocated. Rogers began

2944-486: The money we do spend on Government and it's not one bit better than the government we got for one-third the money twenty years ago." Rogers served as a goodwill ambassador to Mexico, and had a brief stint as mayor of Beverly Hills , a largely ceremonial position that allowed Rogers to joke about do-nothing politicians such as himself. During the depths of the Great Depression , angered by Washington's inability to feed

3008-486: The more conservative Curtis from the Hoover ticket, Rogers defended him, and took credit for keeping him on the ticket: "I saved my 'Injun' Charley Curtis for vice presidency. The rascals was just ready to stab him when we caught 'em." In 1932 Rogers supported Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt , who was his favorite president and politician. Although he supported Roosevelt's New Deal , he could just as easily joke about it: "Lord,

3072-700: The most effective means of preserving peace." Well, to those who think strength provokes conflict, Will Rogers had his own answer. He said of the world heavyweight champion of his day: "I've never seen anyone insult Jack Dempsey ." The approach has been credited for forcing the Soviet Union to lose the arms race and end the Cold War. "Peace Through Strength" is the official motto of the Nimitz -class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76). "Peace Through Strength" has appeared in every party platform of

3136-449: The news of the day followed a similar routine every night. He appeared on stage in his cowboy outfit, nonchalantly twirling his lasso, and said, "Well, what shall I talk about? I ain't got anything funny to say. All I know is what I read in the papers." He would make jokes about what he had read in that day's newspapers. The line "All I know is what I read in the papers" is often incorrectly described as Rogers's most famous punch line, when it

3200-516: The non-profit American Security Council Foundation (ASCF) and its for-profit direct-mail provider, Communications Corporation of America, sought to influence United States foreign policy by promoting the idea, but after the Soviet collapse of 1991, ASCF fell into obscurity, and other organizations continued to promote the slogan. The Heritage Foundation and the Center for Security Policy (CSP) have also used

3264-591: The outside world. Many common people believed that World War I had resulted in extensive and largely senseless carnage, and they supported isolationism for the US. According to scholar Peter Rollins (1976), Rogers appeared to be an anchor of stability; his conventional home life and traditional moral code reminded people of a recent past. His newspaper column, which ran from 1922 to 1935, expressed his traditional morality and his belief that political problems were not as serious as they sounded. In his films, Rogers began by playing

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3328-450: The people, he embarked on a cross-country fundraising tour for the Red Cross . Rogers thought all campaigning was bunk. To prove the point, he mounted a mock campaign in 1928 for the presidency. His only vehicle was the pages of Life , a weekly humor magazine. The campaign was in large part an effort to boost circulation for the struggling magazine. Rogers ran as the "bunkless candidate" of

3392-595: The rest of his career around that skill. A 1922 editorial in The New York Times said that "Will Rogers in the Follies is carrying on the tradition of Aristophanes , and not unworthily." Rogers branched into silent films too, for Samuel Goldwyn 's company Goldwyn Pictures . He made his first silent movie, Laughing Bill Hyde (1918), which was filmed in Fort Lee, New Jersey . Many early films were filmed and produced in

3456-649: The school day. His most unusual role may have been in the first talking version of Mark Twain 's novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court . His popularity soared to new heights with films including Young As You Feel , Judge Priest , and Life Begins at 40 , with Richard Cromwell and Rochelle Hudson. Rogers was an indefatigable worker. He toured the lecture circuit. The New York Times syndicated his weekly newspaper column from 1922 to 1935. Going daily in 1926, his short column "Will Rogers Says" reached 40 million newspaper readers. He also wrote frequently for

3520-533: The term in print. The ASCF registered a trademark for the phrase in April 2011. In September 2012, ASCF filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against CSP and Frank Gaffney , prompting the Washington City Paper to ridicule ASCF's Director of Operations, Gary James, for editing the online encyclopedia Misplaced Pages article titled 'Peace through strength' so that it was "drenched in ... ASCF references". Following

3584-437: The views of the "common man" in America. He downplayed academic credentials, noting, "Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects." Americans of all walks admired his individualism, his appreciation for democratic ideas, and his liberal philosophies on most issues. Moreover, Rogers extolled hard work in order to succeed, and such expressions affirmed American theories about how to realize individual success. Rogers symbolized

3648-514: The west and a navy in the east would protect the Union from the threat of Britain and Spain. Peace Through Strength is the motto of the Eighth Air Force , established in 1944. Peace Through Strength (1952) is the title of a book about a defense plan by Bernard Baruch , a World War II adviser to US President Franklin D. Roosevelt , published by Farrar, Straus and Young . For supporters of

3712-456: Was a featured star in Ziegfeld's Follies on Broadway, as he moved into satire by transforming the "Ropin' Fool" to the "Talkin' Fool". At one performance, with President Woodrow Wilson in the audience, Rogers improvised a "roast" of presidential policies that had Wilson, and the entire audience, in stitches and proved his remarkable skill at off-the-cuff, witty commentary on current events. He built

3776-635: Was a leader in the Cherokee Nation . An attorney and Cherokee judge, Clement owned two slaves he had acquired from his father, and was a Confederate combat veteran of the American Civil War. He was promoted to regimental captain under Confederate colonel (later Brigadier General) Stand Watie and fought at the Battle of Pea Ridge (1862). Clement served as a delegate to the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention . Rogers County, Oklahoma ,

3840-525: Was born had been built in 1875 and was known as the "White House on the Verdigris River ". His parents, Clement V. (Clem) Rogers (1839–1911) and Mary America Schrimsher (1838–1890), were both mixed-race with Cherokee ancestry, and considered themselves Cherokee. Rogers quipped that his ancestors did not come over on the Mayflower , but they "met the boat". His mother was one quarter-Cherokee and born into

3904-624: Was directed three times by John Ford. He appeared in four films with his friend Stepin Fetchit (aka Lincoln T. Perry): David Harum (1934), Judge Priest (1934), Steamboat Round the Bend (1935) and The County Chairman (1935). With his voice becoming increasingly familiar to audiences, Rogers essentially played himself in each film, without film makeup, managing to ad-lib and sometimes work in his familiar commentaries on politics. The clean moral tone of his films resulted in various public schools taking their classes to attend special showings during

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3968-470: Was his opening line. His run at the New Amsterdam ran into 1916, and Rogers's growing popularity led to an engagement on the more famous Ziegfeld Follies . At this stage, Rogers's act was strictly physical, a silent display of daring riding and clever tricks with his lariat. He discovered that audiences identified the cowboy as the archetypical American—doubtless aided by Theodore Roosevelt 's image as

4032-717: Was the highest paid of Hollywood film stars. He died in 1935 with aviator Wiley Post when their small airplane crashed in northern Alaska. Rogers began his career as a performer on vaudeville. His rope act led to success in the Ziegfeld Follies , which in turn led to the first of his many movie contracts. His 1920s syndicated newspaper column and his radio appearances increased his visibility and popularity. Rogers crusaded for aviation expansion and provided Americans with first-hand accounts of his world travels. His earthy anecdotes and folksy style allowed him to poke fun at gangsters, prohibition , politicians, government programs, and

4096-460: Was the youngest of eight children. He was named for the Cherokee leader Colonel William Penn Adair . Only three of his siblings, sisters Sallie Clementine, Maude Ethel, and Mary (May), survived into adulthood. His mother, Mary Schrimsher, was a sister of Martha Schrimsher Gulager, the paternal grandmother of Clu Gulager , making Rogers and Gulager first cousins, once removed. His father, Clement,

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