The Pride of Latrobe

Plenty to be Proud of in Latrobe

As you should know, my Small Town Pride series looks at small towns and the focus of their civic pride. Well, with a population of about 8,000, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, meets the definition of small town. But, as far as THE pride of Latrobe, that is a bit tougher. Latrobe residents have too many good answers to choose from. Obviously, the most important claim to fame is the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp. Furthermore, while no longer brewed here, Rolling Rock beer gets its beginnings from Latrobe. Additionally, as most of you probably knew, Arnold Palmer grew up in Latrobe…

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But, guess what, I am not doing a post on any of these proud subjects. Instead, I wanted to write about a quiet Presbyterian minister who had a long and successful television career. I give you Fred McFeely Rogers…the true pride of Latrobe.

Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood

When I was a kid, the most important show on TV was Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. OK, that was a complete lie. Obviously, the most important show of my childhood time was Bugs Bunny and Friends. Its not even close. However, that does not diminish my admiration for Mr. Rogers. This guy was basically a one man show that went from 1968 to 2001. He was kind of corny and hokey Furthermore, he talked funny and used primitive hand puppets. But darn it, he made it work. His show was on for 32 years!. There is no question the man was successful and apparently knew what he was doing.

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Mr. Rogers in the Beginning

These stories are always better if they are “rags to riches” tales. However, Fred Rogers was never poor. Both his dad’s and mom’s families were prominent business owners in Latrobe, PA. However, Fred was still a bit of an awkward and overweight child. As he was a somewhat lonely child that drew his share of bullies. Puppets and ventriloquism became one way for him to cope. Eventually, he survived his early schooling and headed to college. His love of music led him to get a bachelor degree in music from Rollins College (graduating magna cum laude).

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After graduating from Rollins College, Fred Rogers began his career in television. Eventually, in 1953, he made his way to Pittsburgh and began working on children TV shows on public television. Meanwhile, as a brilliant overachiever, Mr. Rogers also took graduate courses at University of Pittsburgh in childhood development. If that’s not enough, he also attended Pittsburgh Theological Seminary to get a degree in Divinity. Furthermore, he went on to become an ordained Presbyterian minister. Making a long story short, his continued career in children’s TV eventually led Fred to create the TV show legend, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.

Mr. Rogers’ Stuff

When it comes right down to it, my blog mission on Mr. Rogers was really about his stuff. Between Latrobe and Pittsburgh, you can find his set and about every item he used on his show. My Mr. Rogers mission allowed me to see his stuff and bring back some childhood memories…

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Every show of Mr. Rogers generally had the same approach. Mr. Rogers entered his living room…took off his jacket…then, replaced it with his sweater. Why was it always cold in his neighborhood? Anyway, he then took off his dress shoes and replaced them with his old blue sneakers. Once the “real” world portion of the show was concluded, then the trolley came out and ushered us into the Land of Make Believe. In this land, we experience a wide range of make believe characters, most of which are shown in the following pictures.

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Fun Facts and Final Resting Place

While visiting the Fred Rogers Center in Latrobe, I learned many fun facts about Fred Rogers…

• He was obsessed with weighing 143 pounds. Furthermore, he checked every day. He believed 143 meant I Love You. (i.e. one letter, four letters, three letters)
• Mr. Rogers was color blind
• Mr. Rogers was once honorary captain of Pittsburgh Penguins
• A show worn Mr. Rogers’ sweater and shoes are in the Smithsonian
• Mr. Rogers’ middle name was McFeely (his mom’s maiden name). In a show of bad judgement, Mr. Rogers chose to use this name for the Delivery Man (i.e. Mr. McFeely) who was a regular on the show. As you might guess, Mr. McFeely was the source of endless crude jokes at the shows expense. Mr. Rogers admitted to regretting his choice of names.
• There were 895 episodes of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood

But, all good things must come to end. In 2003, only about 2 years after retiring from his show, Mr. Rogers succumbed to stomach cancer. He died at his home in Pittsburgh with his wife of 50 years, Joanne, at his side. He was returned to the family mausoleum in Latrobe where, of course, he remains to this day.

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We were a little unclear as to why the name “Given” was on the family mausoleum. But, trust me, its the right mausoleum. Anyway, that is my tribute to the Pride of Latrobe, Fred McFeely Rogers. Between Latrobe and Pittsburgh, artifacts from his show and life can be found in many different locations. I enjoyed our jaunt around Latrobe finding all things Mr. Rogers. Frankly, if you don’t like Mr. Rogers, then there is just something not right with you. Have a Happy New Year! PT

I hope you have enjoyed reading “The Pride of Latrobe” on Traveling with PugsleyTonks.

If you enjoyed this Small Town Pride, check this one out https://travelingwithpt.com/jamestown-loves-lucy/

If for some reason you actually want more on Mr. Rogers, here you go https://www.fredrogerscenter.org/

This is like the sneaky extras in an Avengers movie…

p.s. If you are not overwhelmed by my Mr. Rogers blitz yet, here is one last thing. There are a lot of memes out there with Mr. Rogers flipping the bird at the camera. Many people think its a fake photo. But, its not. Let’s end this post with a pure and innocent song called “Where is Thumbkin.”