Rollins College Mister Rogers Walking Tour

Fred McFeely Rogers majored in music composition and graduated with distinction from Rollins College in 1951. He met his wife, fellow music student Sara Joanne Byrd, at Rollins as well. He was active at the College, serving on the chapel staff and as a member of the Community Service Club, the Student Music Guild, the French Club, the Welcoming Committee, the After Chapel Club, and the Alpha Phi Lambda fraternity. He also sang in the chapel and Bach choirs. After graduating, Rogers visited Rollins College frequently and spent winter vacations in Winter Park. In 1996 the McFeely-Rogers Foundation established a music scholarship at Rollins College for aspiring musicians.

The tour begins at the Olin Library, where Mister Rogers’ sweater and sneakers, which he gave to the college in 1991, will be on display along with a collection of books, his yearbook, personal letters, and photos from the Rollins College Archives. Other stops on the tour include Tiedtke Concert Hall where a large portrait of Fred Rogers, painted by local artist Don Sondag, hangs proudly; the stone from his hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, which was placed on the Rollins Walk of Fame in front of his old dormitory Lyman Hall; a marble plaque by Strong Hall engraved with the words that inspired him (“Life is for Service”); and the 7 ft. tall, 3,000 lb., 360-degree bronze sculpture that was installed on the campus in 2021.

For more information on the walking tour visit: https://www.rollins.edu/mister-rogers/walking-tour/

Email: jhebeler@rollins.edu
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