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Joy

In 1997, Fred Rogers had A-listers in tears while receiving his lifetime achievement Emmy

"I never considered myself a TV star. I always thought I was a neighbor who just came in for a visit."

via The Emmy Awards/YouTube

Fred Rogers accepts his Lifetime Achievement Award.

Fred Rogers, known by children of all ages as Mister Rogers, was a gentle, humble man who taught the values of kindness, empathy, creativity, patience, self-worth, and curiosity on television for over 33 years. In 1997, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Emmy Awards. That night, he demonstrated his trademark humility, also showing that gentle spirits can exude a sense of authority that even the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world respect without question.

The award was presented to Rogers by actor Tim Robbins, three years after the release of The Shawshank Redemption. In his introduction, he referred to Rogers as “the best neighbor any of us has ever had.” He also praised him for “giving generation upon generation of children confidence in themselves. For being their friend. For telling them again and again and again that they are special and that they have worth.”

When Rogers took the stage, he didn’t thank his agent or pat himself on the back for all the hard work he had done. No, he asked the successful people in the room to reflect on the individuals who had helped them achieve their success.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

“So many people have helped me to come here to this night. Some of you are here, some are far away, and some are even in Heaven,” he told the audience. “All of us have special ones who loved us into being. Would you just take, along with me, 10 seconds to think of the people who have helped you become who you are, those who cared about you and wanted what was best for you in life? Ten seconds, I’ll watch the time. Whomever you’ve been thinking about, how pleased they must be to know the difference you feel they have made.”

Without any reservations, the audience, composed of actors, producers, soap opera stars, and talk show hosts, did precisely what Mr. Rogers asked of them, and for 10 seconds, on national TV before an audience of millions, they quietly reflected.

george w. bush, fred rogers, medal of freedom, mister rogers, presidents, bush 2, neighborsPresident George W. Bush presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award to Fred Rogers July 9, 2002via The White House/Wikimedia Commons

He also added that those who helped and encouraged the people in the room to achieve their current status are the ones we should be celebrating. “Whomever you've been thinking about, how pleased they must be to know the difference you feel they've made. You know they're the kind of people television does well to offer our world,” Rogers said.

Subtly, Rogers' remarks suggest that he believes television programming has a responsibility to help and encourage people, implying that television doesn’t always live up to these standards. He didn’t call anyone out. He wasn’t preachy. He just highlighted those who make a positive contribution to the world. Few people in entertainment could make that statement to those people but Mister Rogers.

king friday, mister rogers, fred rogers, pbs, children's tv, mister rogers neighborhoodKing Friday XIII and Fred Rogers. via HuffPo/Wikimedia Commons

Rogers concluded his speech with thanks to those who had helped him throughout his career. "Special thanks to my family and friends, and to my co-workers in public broadcasting, Family Communications, and this Academy for encouraging me, allowing me all these years to be your neighbor," he finished, adding, "May God be with you. Thank you.”

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Pop Culture

Mr. Rogers described meeting Eddie Murphy in 1982 and it showcases his kind confidence

Letterman asked what he thought of Eddie Murphy parodying him on SNL's "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood."

Letterman/YouTube

Mr. Rogers shared his thoughts on Eddie Murphy with David Letterman.

Few people have earned the amount of genuine, wholesome love that Fred Rogers did. Mr. Rogers made an indelible mark on countless children's childhoods with his goodness, and he even managed to maintain his reputation for being genuinely kind and caring until the end of his life and beyond.

It's a rare feat these days, to live a life in the spotlight and not be outed for some kind of scandal. But Mr. Rogers did and we love him all the more for it.

There are countless qualities that made Mr. Rogers who he was, but one clip from a 1982 David Letterman interview showcases his unique combination of kindness and self-assuredness.

In the clip, Letterman chatted with Rogers for a few minutes about his career, then pointed out that there was a performer in the building who had done imitations of Rogers.

"I just met him a little bit ago," Rogers responded, pulling out a Polaroid photo of himself smiling next to comedian Eddie Murphy.

Murphy was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984 and one of his most popular skits was a parody of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" called "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood."

By Eddie Murphy standards, the skits were fairly clean, but they referenced some hefty topics such as poverty, racism and gentrification while also playing up certain racial and socioeconomic stereotypes. And they weren't always very kid-friendly (as is the case with many SNL skits).

"How do you react to that?" Letterman asked Rogers. "We talked to Andy Rooney about someone doing an impression of him and he didn't seem too keen on it."

Rogers' response was honest but totally classy.

"Well, some of them aren't very funny," he said. Then he seemed to choose his words thoughtfully: "But I think that a lot of them are done with real kindness in their hearts."

Watch:

People in the comments praised Rogers for being exactly who he was during the interview.

"I love that he seems unfazed that some of the audience are not exactly laughing with him... or that Dave would ask him some baiting questions. The man is so comfortable in his own skin that he cares not what others think or say. One of the many reasons he was such a wonderful role model for us kids. A truly wonderful human being." – @OldSaltyBear

"After watching this interview, I just realized what you see on Mr. Roger's Neighborhood is basically him, he wasn't acting or trying to be someone else just for the show, that was him. Fred Rogers was Fred Rogers on and off the show. Such genuineness, it definitely, and exponentially, multiplies the kindness he shows on the show." – @arisketch9247

"Mr Rogers was truly the odd man out. Just a wonderful human being. I was never a fan of Letterman but I think he wanted this interview to go different. I’m not sure the exact intent but Mr Rodgers was just a convicted, sincere and genuine person to want kids to be kids. Even the bad, he wanted them to be true to their feelings and have a safe place to express it. He was the best." – @MurphySullivan

Others shared how much Mr. Rogers meant to them personally:

"I will always appreciate Mr. Rogers because my childhood was one of abuse and violence. Watching an adult talk to me like I mattered and in a calm way was a refuge for me. It may sound corny and dramatic, but it was my reality back in the 80's. He was a blessing and a genuine person." – @jameswhittenburg5299

"That man saved me from my childhood. Abuse surrounded me. There were no good or trustworthy adults I could rely on, but I had Mr. Rogers. I loved him when I was really young, & he taught me things I desperately needed to hear. What a wonderful, wonderful man." – @dshepherd107

"I don't think people realized that Mr. Rogers was actually a foster parent to every child that watched this show. He's still fostering children posthumously. He just had that big of a heart and good spirit. Such a good man. RIP" – @randomsteve7808

It's truly impossible to overstate the impact Fred Rogers had on generations of kids during his lifetime, and thanks to the miracle of television, his legacy continues to inspire and comfort to this day.

(And if you haven't seen "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood," here's a taste:)

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Television

Watch Mister Rogers totally win over a tough, skeptical senator in 6 minutes

"I'm supposed to be a pretty tough guy, and this is the first time I've had goosebumps in the past two days."

danieldeibler/YouTube

Fred Rogers managed to secure $20 million in PBS funding from Congress.

On May 1, 1969, Fred Rogers sat before the Senate Subcommittee on Communications to make the case for funding children's educational programming. His show, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, had recently become nationally syndicated, and the program relied on the $20 million in government funding allotted to public broadcasting. That funding was on the chopping block, with President Nixon wanting to cut it in half, so Rogers went to Washington, D.C., to advocate for the funding before Congress.

In a video clip of Rogers' testimony, we can see how subcommittee chairman Senator John O. Pastore sat across from Rogers, appearing somewhat disinterested. He had never heard of or seen Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and wasn't familiar with Rogers himself.

"Alright Rogers, you have the floor," he said in an almost condescending tone.

(Side note: Who in their right mind condescends to Mister Rogers? Granted, Senator Pastore didn't know who he was and the world hadn't yet realized his wholesome amazingness yet, so it's somewhat forgivable. Still funny to see it, though.)

For six minutes, we watch Fred Rogers work his calm, compassionate magic on the committee. As he methodically and eloquently made his argument, Pastore became transfixed and ultimately transformed.

Rogers described how he speaks to children on his show and how he felt that showing people working out their emotions was much more dramatic than gunfire.

"I feel that if we in public television can only make it clear that feelings are mentionable—and manageable—we will have done a great service for mental health," he said. "I'm constantly concerned about what our children are seeing, and for 15 years, I have tried—in this country and in Canada—to present what I feel is a meaningful expression of care."

The senator was moved by Rogers' words. "I'm supposed to be a pretty tough guy, and this is the first time I've had goosebumps in the past two days," he said.

By the end, Pastore was totally on board. "I think it's wonderful," he concluded. "I think it's wonderful. Looks like you just earned yourself the $20 million."

Watch how Rogers did it:

It's not just that Rogers explained himself well. According to Jean Greaves, Ph.D., specialist in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and author of "Emotional Intelligence 2.0," Rogers used four specific skills to connect with the committee members and influence their decision-making.

Greaves wrote that Rogers utilized self-awareness by knowing—and sharing—his own expertise and experience with children's programming. He stayed focused and kept his emotions in check, even while sharing his feelings, which used the skill of self-management. Utilizing social awareness, Rogers read his audience and understood what they valued. ("Mr. Rogers understood he was addressing a senator who was more than just the decision maker—he was a man who used to be a boy, a man who had a family, and a senator whose sworn duty was to represent the needs of Americans," Greaves wrote.) Finally, he used relationship management to make a personal connection with the senator, telling him he trusted him to read his statement and acknowledging that they shared the same concern for the quality of children's television programming.

Having watched countless hours of Mister Rogers' programming myself and being a lifelong fan of both the show and the man, my hunch is that those emotional intelligence skills were simply a part of who he was. And thanks to the funding for PBS that he helped procure, his "meaningful expressions of care" helped millions of kids gain greater emotional intelligence themselves.

Just a wonderful, decent, delightful man who loved children just exactly the way they are. What a gift he was to us all.

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Joy

'1-4-3 Day': Pennsylvanians celebrate kindness in honor of Mister Rogers and his favorite number

via Wikimedia Commons

Fred Rogers and King Friday.

The number 143 was very special to Fred Rogers. To the star of “Mister Rogers' Neighborhood,” it meant, I love you. “It takes one letter to say I and four letters to say love and three letters to say you. One hundred and forty-three,” he was fond of saying.

He even tried to maintain the weight of 143 pounds by swimming every day at a pool in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Three years ago, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf declared May 23, the 143rd day of the year, to be 1-4-3 Day in the state, celebrating Rogers’ commitment to kindness. “Imagine what our real neighborhoods would be like if each of us offered, as a matter of course, just one kind word to another person,” Rogers once mused.

Rogers grew up in Latrobe, Pennsylvania and his television show was produced at WQED Pittsburgh.

The governor’s office recommends that the state’s residents celebrate in three ways:

  1. Embrace the spirit of the kindest Pennsylvanian, Fred Rogers
  2. Do something kind for your neighbors
  3. Spread the love by using hashtag #143DayInPA

via State of Pennsylvania

In its third year, the holiday seems to be catching on, especially in Pennsylvania schools, where one class celebrated by wearing cardigan sweaters, just like Mister Rogers did. It was also celebrated by incarcerated individuals at SCI Laurel Highlands, who raised over $7,000 for Cambria County Children and Youth Services.

Here's how other people celebrated throughout the state on May 23, 2022.

Fred Rogers is one of the most admired Americans of the past century and his message of kindness is sorely needed now more than ever. That’s why some are advocating for making 1-4-3 Day a national holiday so that Rogers’ values will be celebrated in communities across the country.

Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski, co-authors of “When You Wonder, You're Learning: Mister Rogers' Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids,” made a compelling case for 1-4-3 Day becoming a national holiday in Time.

A recent study by Pew Research shows that Americans believe we could use a lot more neighborliness, too.

At a time when Americans' trust in each other and its institutions is waning, 86% of us still believe it can be rebuilt with greater community cooperation. Who better to inspire us to reach that goal than America’s favorite neighbor, Mister Rogers?

While many of us look at Washington for solutions to our country’s problems, so much could be fixed if we simply took action in our local communities. A 79-year-old woman polled by Pew offered a simple but powerful solution to the country’s problems. “Seek common ground that engages as many as possible in the community and organize around a project that addresses that common concern,” she said.

“Mister Rogers' Neighborhood” first aired nationally on PBS in 1968 and just about every child born since was taught about simple human kindness by Fred Rogers. Sadly, some of us have forgotten that lesson as we’ve grown older, so a national 1-4-3 holiday would be a perfect way for every American to reflect on those important values and to recommit to being the neighbors that Mister Rogers taught us to be.


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