Recently while sitting in a greasy spoon with the majority of my Brady Bunch family in attendance, I heard a line come from Melissa’s 10-year old daughter that made my jaw drop. Typically the conversations that we have as a group take twists and turns that none of us could possibly foresee. What could start as mere chatter about the rides at Kansas City’s lone amusement park could end up a few short minutes later being a run down of the best kid shows of all time. I absolutely adore these conversations. But as I mentioned earlier this particular roundtable had one line that made my eyes pop to the size of the plate that was keeping my scrambled eggs off the dirty table. The line?

“Who is Mister Rogers?”

Wait a minute…what?!?

I thought for a moment about how I would describe Fred Rogers to a child in this particular day and age. With a world full of SpongeBob and Elmo, I could only imagine how foreign – and, sadly, boring – the premise of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood would sound to them. And that’s a shame because Mister Rogers, to me, is a personal hero of mine that had a profound impact and influence on my life.

Fred McFeely Rogers was born on March 20, 1928 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania and spent a good portion of his early years as an only child. It was during the time he spent with his maternal grandfather Fred McFeely that he first developed an interest in music and puppetry. But it was an oft-repeated quote from his grandfather that made an impact on the young Rogers and formed the basis of a world that millions of children would grow up to know and love: “you’ve made this day a special day, just by being you.”

Upon graduating college, Rogers saw television for the first time. Intrigued by the emerging medium, he opted to go into the field rather than completing his seminary studies. “I went into television because I hated it so, and I thought there was some way of using this fabulous instrument to be of nurture to those who would watch and listen.”

And boy, did he ever find a way to do just that. Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood ran from 1968 through 2001 and had nearly 900 episodes (895 to be exact). Millions upon millions of children were treated to a daily life lesson handed out by the man who I personally consider to be the most qualified person to hand them out – sometimes even more qualified than the child’s own parents.

Fred Rogers was known the world over as one of the most friendly and sincerely genuine human beings you could ever hope to meet. Can you think a man you’ve ever encountered that was as open-minded, loving, caring, respected and perfect – yes, I’ll go as far as saying that the man was perfect – as Rogers? If you can, I’d love to hear you state your case.

A few points as to how universally loved and cherished Mister Rogers was by the world:

• In 1990, thieves stole his car. Upon the discovery of whose car they had stolen (the story had been picked up by the news media and widely reported), the vehicle was returned where it had been stolen with a note that read “if we had known the car was yours, we wouldn’t have taken it.”
• Koko, the Stanford-educated gorilla that could speak roughly 1,000 words in American Sign Language, was a huge fan of Rogers. During a trip out to film the gorilla for his show, Koko immediately wrapped her arms around Mister Rogers and began to untie his shoes for him – something she had seen him do at the beginning of each and every show.
• Once while late for a meeting and unable to find a cab, Rogers and a colleague hopped onto a subway in New York. Shortly thereafter, he was recognized and the entire car began to sing his signature theme song “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.”
• One of his signature sweaters (each and every one of them hand-knitted by his mother) hangs in the Smithsonian.

And while he may be best known for his kind demeanor, Rogers was also a tenacious advocate for public television…almost single-handedly saving it when he testified before the U.S. Senate in 1969 (video to the right).

The backstory: In 1969 the budget for the Pubic Broadcasting System, which has brought us everything from Sesame Street to Frontline, was at risk of losing 50% of its budget due to then-President Richard Nixon’s decision to push more money into the expenditures surrounding Vietnam War.

Rogers, appearing before the United States Senate Subcommittee on Communications, managed to sway committee chairman Senator John Pastore’s decision in just a little over six minutes. Upon hearing Rogers speak, Pastore – who, at the time, was completely unfamiliar with Mister Rogers’ work – said that he had experienced “goose bumps” upon hearing Rogers’ compelling speech and granted PBS the full budget for that year.

After Rogers’ completed his appeal, the Senator stated “I think it’s wonderful, I think it’s wonderful” ending it with “Looks like you just earned the $20 million dollars.” Boom!

His acts of greatness and generosity did not go unrewarded. Honors for both his professional and personal work poured in throughout his lifetime. Rogers received 40 honorary degrees, two Peabody Awards, the Presidential Medal of Freedom (the nation’s highest civilian award), and four Emmy Awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997.

His speech, which lasted only a couple of minutes, managed to elicit beaming smiles and even tears from the hundreds of celebrities in attendance. He received a standing ovation heading up to the stage as well as when he made his exit. What amazed me the most is how, upon being presented this enormous award for his own achievements, Mister Rogers stays true to character and instead turns the moment into magic by having everyone think of the people in their own lives that helped them get to where they are today.

It’s easily one of the most touching and powerful acceptance speeches I’ve ever seen in my life.

Here’s the text of his speech from the 24th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards:

“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. 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. 10 seconds, I’ll watch the time. [ten second pause] Whomever you’ve been thinking about, how pleased they must be to know the difference you feel they have made. You know they’re kind of people television does well to offer our world. Special thanks to my family, my friends, and my co-workers in Public Broadcasting and Family Communications, and to this Academy for encouraging me, allowing me, all these years to be your neighbor. May God be with you. Thank you very much.”

In August, 2001 the final new episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood aired. Less than two years later the world suffered a tremendous loss when Fred Rogers passed away after a short battle with stomach cancer. Tears flowed heavily around the globe as word of his death spread. An entire generation of adults that had grown up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, myself included, felt a tremendous loss. Gone was the man who many had considered an extended member of their own family…a man who not only taught love and compassion but had also instilled millions of people of all ages with a sense of self-worth.

The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate unanimously passed bills – Resolution 111 and Resolution 16 respectively – honoring his life while a grieving populace spoke out about the loss:

“In today’s world of fast-paced and high-tech entertainment for children, Mister Rogers was an oasis of patience, kindness and caring.” – Kenosha, Wisconisin

“Fred Rogers was an inspiration to me. I am 35 years old and I have cerebral palsy. Mister Rogers made me feel important and let me know that despite the cerebral palsy and my learning disability, I could make something of myself. The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation told my parents I could not go to college. I have a B.A. in communication and a master’s in rehabilitation sciences. Now, thanks to Mister Rogers, my parents and others, I work with individuals who have mental-retardation and mental-health issues. Thank you, Mister Rogers, for believing in children everywhere and for helping me believe in myself to become the person and the neighbor I am today.” – Portvue, Pennsylvania

“My parents were divorced when I was very young. At the time, I thought that if I had been a better son, maybe Dad would have stayed. That burden was carried for a long time. Mister Rogers taught me that I was special, too, and I realized eventually that it wasn’t my fault. He gave me a gift that money couldn’t buy, the gift of self-worth.” – Exeter, New Hampshire

“Understanding what a father should be is difficult when your own is an alcoholic. Mister Rogers taught me that men could be gentle and loving, that they weren’t all angry and abusive. I vividly remember watching his shows as a young child and thinking how kind he was, not scary. I’m thankful that Fred Rogers gave of himself to young children everywhere, and for his wonderful role-modeling, which helped me to see the world outside of my own home.” – Bend, Oregon

“As a little boy, I came from a bad home. The only person that made me feel good about myself was Mister Rogers. He was the only person who made me feel safe and comfortable.” – Hershey, Pennsylvania

As a child that grew up comfortably and surrounded by loving parents, Mister Rogers wasn’t as necessary to my own personal growth as he was to many others that I know. Upon hearing the news of his passing I did not shed a tear, although I did feel a loss. It wasn’t until years later when I chanced upon an article about him that made me truly remember the countless hours that I spent watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood…and made me realize just how truly incredible the man was and how his legacy is to this day. I have no problems whatsoever tearing up at reading about everything that he accomplished throughout his life.

I began this piece telling you about how shocked I was that my girlfriend’s 10-year old had never heard of Mister Rogers. Well, you can bet that here in the near future she’ll most certainly know who he is as I intend to introduce her to the man’s timeless message. I want her to know that even though she’s going through a rough time right now in her life that she’s special and that her mother and I love her…just the way she is.

Thanks, Mister Rogers, for giving the world a tremendous gift – the gift of you.