The Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, Okla., is marking its 75th year this week. Rogers remains probably the most famous Oklahoman, despite nearly eight decades passing after his death in an Alaska plane crash.
The “Diamond Jubilee” event is set from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the museum with performances by the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus, famed country fiddler Jana Jae, The Tulsa Playboys western-swing band, and several trick ropers and Wild West entertainers (trick roping was how Rogers got his start in the entertainment biz).
Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa will host benefit concerts Friday night for the museum, featuring Jessi Colter, Shooter Jennings and the Red Dirt Rangers.
The Will Rogers Memorial Museum stands only a mile from Route 66 in Claremore and remains a popular side trip. U.S. 66 also was commonly called the Will Rogers Highway.
The Tulsa World provided background on the building of the memorial:
Rogers’ connection to people of all walks of life, from the poorest of the poor to the leaders of the free world, was extraordinary. A memorial fund started shortly after Rogers’ death received 575,000 contributions.
The average contribution was 45 cents.
“No philosopher, no character in American history, had a better understanding of our country … than Will Rogers,” said Jesse Jones, one of the speakers at the 1938 opening of the Will Rogers Memorial Museum.
The museum’s opening 75 years ago this fall was the biggest event in the history of Claremore. Twenty-five thousand people, more than the entire population of Rogers County at that time, filled the main streets and surged along the Oologah road and up the hill west of town. […]
The central feature of the museum, then and now, was Jo Davidson’s heroic-scale sculpture of Rogers standing with hands in pockets, hip cocked, grinning down at his visitors. Davidson, a friend of Rogers’, had been commissioned by the state to produce a piece for the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall. Davidson made two copies and gave one to the museum.
Betty Rogers agreed to move Rogers’ remains to the crypt on the Memorial grounds in 1944. The life-sized sculpture of Rogers on his horse Soapsuds, donated by Amon Carter of Fort Worth, was added in 1951.
In the newspaper business, Rogers would have been called a “quote factory.” Here’s is a partial list of his memorable sayings.
It’s difficult to explain how popular Rogers was. He was the No. 1 movie star, the No. 1 radio commentator and No. 1 newspaper columnist. He was Tom Hanks, Rush Limbaugh and George Will wrapped up in one, except funnier and wiser. There’s little doubt he could have run for governor or president and won in a landslide.
There probably will never be another of his kind again.
(Image of the Will Rogers Memorial Museum by J. Stephen Conn via Flickr)