Alabama

Will Rogers visited Alabama several times and spoke often about it. He even addressed the Alabama legislature in Joint Session in 1927.

“Say, Alabama is sure humming on good schools. That one in Auburn will compare with anybody’s university, and coming over here I spent the morning at Tuskegee, that living monument to Booker T. Washington. They have a great idea there that some of our schools are copying. They teach pupils that they are going to have to work, and how to work. Our old mode of college education was teach ‘em so they think they won’t have to work.” Daily Telegrams – March 2nd, 1928.

Will was a big football fan and he spoke about Alabama football in the Rose Bowl, “The Alabama Bo-Weevils destroyed the Washington Apple Knockers at Pasadena yesterday….The score sounded like the Democratic convention at Madison Square Garden in ’24….Yesterday Alabama makes 24 for Coach Wallace Wade.”– Daily Telegrams – Jan 2, 1931. (Wallace Wade was coach of Alabama from 1923-1930 and Bama defeated Washington State College in the Rose Bowl – 24-0)

Will spoke often about Alabama politics and how they voted in Presidential elections. In commenting on speculation on whether he has his own plane since he travels so much he said, “They think because I do a lot of traveling that way that I must have my own plane. Why I haven’t got any more plane than Alabama has Republicans.” Weekly Articles - 1932