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WHEREAS, more than six decades have passed since Mister Fred McFeely Rogers became a pioneer in the entertainment business; and,
WHEREAS, his work has always been, and will continue to be, the most influential work in television for children, families, and communities; and,
WHEREAS, in 1953 Fred Rogers joined WQED, the first American community-sponsored station with shows whose intent was to be educational; and,
WHEREAS, early in his career, Rogers produced The Children's Corner and served as the puppeteer for many up-and-coming puppets, a composer, and an organist; and,
WHEREAS, Rogers graduated from the University Of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Child Development and was ordained as a Presbyterian minister by the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 1963; and,
WHEREAS, in 1966, Rogers created Mister Rogers' Neighborhood a children's television show that remains popular nearly sixty years later, and in 1968 the show began being broadcast via the National Educational Television, which eventually turned into the Public Broadcast Service, or PBS; and,
WHEREAS, always engaged in the local community, Fred Rogers selflessly transformed his life into both a sanctuary and an educational space for children in the city of Pittsburgh; and,
WHEREAS, thousands of visitors have enjoyed his popular exhibits at the Pittsburgh International Airport and the Children's Museum, and his tireless commitment and contributions to the local arts and education scene; and,
WHEREAS, Rogers' legacy includes countless catchy musical tunes, the longest running children's program on television, famous puppeteering, constructing educational pieces of writing for not only children but adults too; book signings, benefits, fund-raisers, camps, spoken words, and a non-profit company aimed to give back to the community.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby pay posthumous tribute to Fred Rogers' lifelong passion and dedication of pionee...
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