William Penn Adair Rogers was born in Oologah, Indian Territory (now Claremore, Oklahoma) on November 4, 1879. Growing up on a ranch, he began his entertainment career with a rope-throwing act in New York City in 1905. He also performed in rodeos and Wild West shows. By 1915, he had developed the stage character of a rough, down-to-earth cowboy. He later wrote a syndicated newspaper column, starred in a handful of films, and published several books, including The Cowboy Philosopher on Prohibition (1919). In 1935, flying with famous American pilot Wiley Post, he died in a plane crash in Alaska.