Rodgers or Rogers? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Fred Rogers

Fred Rogers was a minister who was disturbed by the type of programs on television directed to children. He formulated a program that he thought would be more apt. So for thirty three years "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" was a public TV staple. In a calm voice he would enter, change to more comfortable clothes, then take you to meet his friends and find out what they had been up to.

Answer: Richard Rodgers

Rodgers was the music; Hammerstein was the words. Together they collaborated on Broadway musicals and their film adaptations. Notable works are "Carousel" (1945), "The King and I" (1951), "The Sound of Music" (1959), South Pacific (1949), and "Oklahoma" (1943). Rodgers also worked with Lorenz Hart until he became unreliable as a partner.

Answer: Ginger Rogers

Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath); was an American actress, dancer, and singer. She is best known for her starring role in Kitty Foyle (1940) for which she won an Academy Award in 1940. Her role was the story of a self-sacrificing mother. She performed with Fred Astaire (dancing backward on heels) on stage, radio and television, throughout much of the 20th century. She made 67 films in addition to stage and personal appearances.

A former employee of a local hotel remembered that Ginger Rogers was friendly but demanding.

Answer: Carl Rogers

Carl Ransom Rogers was an American psychologist who fostered the humanistic approach to psychology. Rogers is considered to be one of the founding fathers of modern psychotherapy. Psychologists typically were method oriented and symptom directed and frequently did not see the whole person. Rogers felt the core of interaction was helping the client discover personal solutions rather than being directed toward one.

While I was taking courses at the University of Wisconsin where Rogers crystalized his thoeries, I met several people who had enrolled just to be able to study with him. They were disappointed as he had left for Western Behavioral Sciences Institute in California. Later Rogers founded the Center for Studies of the Person. Rogers is the author of sixteen books on his theories and compared to similar academic works they are very readable.

Answer: Will Rogers

William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers was an American stage and motion picture actor, vaudeville performer, American cowboy, humorist, newspaper columnist, and social commentator from Oklahoma. He was a Cherokee citizen born in the Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory. He traveled around the world three times, made 71 films (50 silent films and 21 "talkies"), and wrote more than 4,000 nationally syndicated newspaper columns. Here are some examples of his home spun observations:

"There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."

"I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts."

"All I know is just what I read in the papers, and that's an alibi for my ignorance."

"I never met a man I didn't like."

And my personal favorite ""I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat."

Answer: Jimmie Rodgers

Jimmie Rodgers, was an American country, blues and folk singer, songwriter and musician known for his rhythmic yodeling. Rodgers was among the first country music stars and an inspiration of many artists. Rodgers was also known as "The Singing Brakeman", "The Blue Yodeler", and "The Father of Country Music".

My aunt Lena had an old Victrola that she had stored away. When I stayed with her as a child I found it and there were a number of very old records. You had to crank it up and use a needle but it played in its own scratchy way. The Jimmie Rodgers record that was my favorite was "The Big Rock Candy Mountain".

"In the Big Rock Candy Mountain
The cops have wooden legs
The bulldogs all have rubber teeth
And the hens lay soft-boiled eggs
The farmers' trees are full of fruit
The barns are full of hay
I want to go where there ain't no snow
Where the sleet don't fall and the wind don't blow
In that Big Rock Candy Mountain"

Answer: Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Charles Rodgers is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers played college football for the California Golden Bears and was the first round pick in 2005 NFL Draft by the Packers.

He was the backing up quarterback to Brett Favre for three years then Rodgers became starting quarterback in 2008. In 2010 he led them to a victory in Super Bowl XLV over the Pittsburgh Steelers, earning the Super Bowl MVP. He was named Associated Press Athlete of the Year in 2011,and was voted league MVP for the 2011 and 2014 NFL seasons.

Rodgers brings not only physical skills to the position but a keen intelligence, able to detect defensive schemes, draw penalties, and display leadership.

Answer: Roy Rogers

Roy Rogers was an American film star who reportedly has over a hundred western movies to his credit. Dale Evans was his wife and co-star, Trigger was his horse that he had stuffed for his museum, Bullet was his dog, and Pat Brady in his Jeep was often his comic relief.

He was a singing cowboy having been a member of the Sons of the Pioneers. The white hat/black hat genre of westerns died out in the late 1940s but Rogers adapted by appearing as a supporting player in some big budget films. He also established a fast food franchise and constructed his museum that started in Victorville, California and then moved to Branson, Missouri where it closed in 2009.

Answer: Buddy Rogers

Professional wrestling has been around for a long time but in the 1960s it had a resurgence with the advent of television. Wrestlers could not get by with grunts and groans but had to be able to speak to TV audiences and have enough charisma so that fans would pay cash to see them perform. Buddy Rogers helped to forge new concepts into this type of entertainment.

Lou Thesz, another wrestler from that era, said "Rogers is remembered by fans and performers but it's probably not common knowledge just how influential he was... he broke into the business somewhere around 1941 as a hero-type personality, with little more going for him than a good body and natural charisma in the ring - which is actually a pretty good beginning - and he was a hit almost from the start. He had that indefinable something fans responded to, and he was sharp enough to build upon".

Answer: Kenny Rogers

Although known as a singer, he has been an actor as well. Rogers made five film appearances as "The Gambler". Between 1980 and 1994 he starred in made-for television movies as Brady Hawkes, the Gambler. His signature song:

"You've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run
You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealin's done"