Will Rogers

November 3, 2008

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Profile America — Monday, November 3rd. This is National American Indian Heritage Month, and tomorrow also marks the birth of one of the nation’s great humorists, Will Rogers, who was born in Oologah Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. Rogers was a homespun cowboy philosopher who began his career as a top-flight rodeo trick roping artist. He went on to make more than 70 movies, write six books, star on Broadway and became a popular radio commentator and newspaper columnist. Throughout his life, he was always proud of his Indian heritage. Will Rogers was born in the Cherokee Nation, which now numbers some 302,000, slightly larger than the Navajo tribal group at just over 296,000. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2008, p. 538
U.S. Census Bureau, Facts for Features, CB07-FF.18
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/010849.html