Will Rogers (1879–1935,) fully William Penn Adair Rogers, was an American actor, entertainer, rancher, and humorist. Celebrated for pithy and homespun humor and cracker-barrel philosophy, he came to personify the wisdom of the common person.
Born the son of a rancher in Oolagah, Indian Territory (Oklahoma,) Rogers traveled to Buenos Aires and Johannesburg. He was employed as a ranch hand and cowpuncher. He used these skills as a vaudeville headliner with his rope twirling and homespun humor from 1905, appearing at the St Louis World’s Fair (1904) and in the musical The Girl Rangers (1907.)
Rogers’s first Broadway performance was in The Wall Street Girl (1912,) and he later became a regular attraction at the Ziegfeld Follies (1917–18.) By this time, his act had expanded to include homespun philosophy, wisecracking and rustic ruminations. He made several silent films, including Laughing Bill Hyde (1918,) Jubilo (1919,) and Doubling for Romeo (1921.)
Rogers returned to Broadway in Three Cheers (1928) and made They Had to See Paris (1929; his first sound film,) State Fair (1933,) Judge Priest (1934,) and Steamboat Round the Bend (1935.)
Rogers wrote a syndicated column for The New York Times 1922–35, wrote articles for the Saturday Evening Post and made frequent radio broadcasts. He died in a plane crash with aviator Wiley Post in Alaska.
Rogers’s notable works include The Cowboy Philosopher at the Peace Conference (1919,) Political Follies (1929,) and The Autobiography of Will Rogers (1949; compiled by from his writings and sayings by Donald Day.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Will Rogers
There ain’t nothing but one thing wrong with every one of us, and that’s selfishness.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Service
An economist’s guess is liable to be as good as anybody else’s.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Economy, Economics
If you ever injected truth into politics, you would have no politics.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Truth, Politics
We don’t give our criminals much punishment, but we sure give ’em plenty of publicity.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Justice
Pain is such an uncomfortable feeling that even a tiny amount of it is enough to ruin every enjoyment.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Pain
When I die, my epitaph or whatever you call those signs on gravestones is going to read: I joked about every prominent man of my time, but I never met a man I dident like. I am so proud of that I can hardly wait to die so it can be carved. And when you come to my grave you will find me sitting there, proudly reading it.
—Will Rogers
I wonder if it isn’t just cowardice instead of generosity that makes us give tips.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Giving, Charity
Mona Lisa is the only beauty who went through history and retained her reputation.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Virtues, Virtue
The trouble with practical jokes is that very often they get elected.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Jokes, Politics
Everybody is ignorant—only on different subjects.
—Will Rogers
Topics: One liners, Ignorance
You never know how much a man can’t remember until he is called as a witness.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Memory
One revolution is just like one cocktail, it just gets you organized for the next.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Revolutions, Revolution
Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate, now what’s going to happen to us with both a House and a Senate?
—Will Rogers
Topics: Government
If Stupidity got us into this mess, then why can’t it get us out?
—Will Rogers
Topics: Stupidity
Politics ain’t worrying this country one-tenth as much as where to find a parking space
—Will Rogers
Topics: Politics, Worry
Andrew Jackson was the first one to think up the idea to promise everybody that if they will vote for you, you will give them an office when you get it, and the more times they vote for you, the bigger the office.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Voting
Being a hero is about the shortest lived profession on earth.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Heroes/Heroism, Heroes, Heroism
There wasn’t any more truth in over half of what any so-called orator said. If it wasn’t a Deliberate Lie, why it was an Exaggerated Falsehood.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Deception/Lying
A conference is just an admission that you want somebody to join you in your troubles.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Trouble
If advertisers spent the same amount of money on improving their products as they do on advertising then they wouldn’t have to advertise them.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Advertising
No party is as bad as its leaders.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Politics, Politicians
People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Anger
We can make this thing into a Party, instead of a Memory.
—Will Rogers
I have no Politics. I am for the Party that is out of Power, no matter which one it is. But I will give you my word that, in case of my appointment, I will not be a Republican; I will do my best to pull with you, and not embarrass you. In fact, my views on European affairs are so in accord with You, Mr. President, that I might almost be suspected of being a Democrat.
—Will Rogers
There is no credit to being a comedian, when you have the whole Government working for you. All you have to do is report the facts. I don’t even have to exaggerate.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Humor
You know horses are smarter than people. You never heard of a horse going broke betting on people.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Horses
You can’t say civilization isn’t advancing: in every war, they kill you in a new way.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Civilization, War
The short memories of American voters is what keeps our politicians in office.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Memory
An onion can make people cry, but there has never been a vegetable invented to make them laugh
—Will Rogers
Topics: Eating
Liberty doesn’t work as well in practice as it does in speeches.
—Will Rogers
Topics: Freedom, Speech, Liberty
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