Will Rogers

"When I die, my epitaph is going to read: 'I joked about every prominent man of my time, but I never met a man I didn't 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."

The author of this quote is humorist, Will Rogers, whose birthday we celebrated today. He was born in Claremore, Oklahoma in 1879 and was the last of eight children. He never graduated from high school and, at an early age, began performing in rodeo shows, specializing in roping tricks. His father, a successful rancher, tried to settle him down by enrolling him in a military academy, but he ran away and hopped a boat to South America. From there he took off to Africa, where he began performing in something called "Texas Jack's Wild West Show." He toured with various circuses in New Zealand and Australia until he finally found his way back to the United States, where he performed in vaudeville shows in New York City.

Rogers went on to become the original king of all media. In his lifetime, he was a Broadway showman, Hollywood actor, traveling public speaker, radio commentator, and newspaper columnist. His column was syndicated in almost 400 papers; it was the most widely read column of its day.

Will Rogers had a love for horses and flying. He died on a flight to Alaska in 1935 with a daring one-eyed pilot named Wiley Post who also lost his life in the crash.

Some of my favorite quotes from Will Rogers are:

`Personally, I have always felt the best doctor in the world is the Veterinarian. He can't ask his patients what's the matter. He's just got to know.'

'No man is great if he thinks he is.'

`Live your life so that whenever you lose, you are ahead.'


Our constitution protects aliens, drunks and U. S. Senators.

Live in such a way that you wouldn't be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.

Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.