Celebrate Mr. Rogers’ Birthday with Oak Hill Dry Cleaners
March 20th is the birthday of the late Fred Rogers. Known around the world as Mr. Rogers, he was born in 1928. He was ordained a Presbyterian minister in the 1960s but used his interests in theology and child psychology to become one of the most beloved television hosts of all time. Not only did he create the role of host of the iconic Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, but he was also responsible for the creation of many of its puppets, songs, and themes.
This all came about due to his difficult childhood plagued by his introverted and shy manner and poor health. He had turned to such comforts as ventriloquism and creating inner worlds with the company of his stuffed toys. His life changed when attending seminary after college. During a visit to his parents' home, he realized an immediate hatred for television programming. It set him on the path or quest to create healthier programming, especially for children.
Initially, his work was in the background, creating music and puppets for The Children’s Corner for a Pittsburgh, PA, public TV affiliate. During these early years, he also met Margaret McFarland, a noted child psychologist, and the two collaborated on much of the content Mr. Rogers would go on to create for the next decades.
By 1968, Mister Robers’ Neighborhood was ready to run nationally on PBS. It continued for almost 900 episodes, initially in black and white, but received such support that it could film in color from its second season onward. It is the third-longest-running program in the history of American public TV, still airing on many affiliates today.
Modern viewers might question the quietness and slow pace of the show, especially when compared to common kids’ shows today. Instead of “bombardment” (a term he used when testifying before the U.S. Senate), he opts for something far more soothing.
Every episode includes the repetitive opening showing Mr. Rogers coming home and singing the famous “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” while changing out of street clothes and into one of his iconic sweaters.
Each episode then lets kids know the overall theme of the show, takes them on a related visit, and then returns home with time spent in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. The episode then wraps up with a nice concluding talk from Mr. Rogers as he tidied up, fed fish, or put his street clothes back on before heading out the front door.
One of our favorites is focused on Mr. Rogers’ creating an opera, which also puts a huge emphasis on the creation of sweaters.
This was all very carefully planned and designed by Rogers and McFarland to address the emotional and social needs of children. Viewers might visit Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood to learn how to share or deal with anger at a sibling or the challenges of moving to a new town. The show was famous for gently breaking many barriers in its efforts to help children with such basics as civility, morality, and tolerance.
In 1969, Mr. Rogers enjoyed simply soaking his feet in a small wading pool along with Francois Clemmons. In so doing, they broke a firm “color barrier” on TV as Clemmons was an African American man and segregation was still a problem in the U.S. Mr. Rogers even found himself discussing the death of Robert F. Kennedy just two short days after his 1968 assassination, bringing comfort to hundreds of thousands of viewers, and addressing the horrors of 9/11 in 2001.
There is so much more to know about the life and work of Mr. Rogers, and today is the perfect day to learn about him at such sites as the official Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood site or even the basic Wikipedia page. We also highly recommend the 2018 documentary film about him:
Mr. Rogers’ calm courage and genuine manner are something many adults yearn to find again, and just watching those opening credits for a few moments is a treat.
In honor of what would have been Mr. Rogers’ 96th birthday, we are offering a sweater special. Just in time for spring, we encourage you to get your sweaters professionally cleaned and ready to be safely put away for the upcoming warmer weather. From March 20th through April 20th, you enjoy 10% any order of four or more sweaters. You can print out the coupon below or simply say “Code 143” when bringing in your order. Whether your sweaters were made by your mom, just like Mr. Rogers’ or just among your cozy winter favorites, now is the best time to give them the kind of TLC we specialize in here at Oak Hill Dry Cleaners!
