Will Rogers was born on a ranch near Claremore, Oklahoma. By 1905 he was performing as a trick roper in New York. Eventually, he discovered he could make more money giving commentaries on public events while spinning he rope. He joined the Ziegfield Follies and became one of the highest paid performers in show business. He eventually acted in movies and wrote a newspaper column syndicated in more than 300 newspapers. He was friends with Fort Worth’s Amon Carter and a major supporter of the city. His life was cut short in a tragic plane crash with famed pilot Wiley Post in 1935.