WINTER PARK, Fla. — America’s favorite neighbor, Fred Rogers, would have been 96 years old on March 20, 2025. To honor the icon this month, you can press your face right up against some of the most recognizable memorabilia in television history.
- The late television icon — Fred Rogers — will forever be synonymous with his impact on Rollins College students and faculty. The music major graduated in 1951. He also met his wife, Joanne, while he was there.
- Rogers’ impact and campus involvement is still felt, not only by students, but faculty, as well. Rollins College professor of theory and composition Dan Crozier is Rogers' nephew. He followed in his uncle’s footsteps, teaching at Rollins College for over 20 years.
- “People wonder what he was like in person,” Crozier said during a recent, limited-time walking tour. “He was exactly like he appeared in the program.”
- The tour has 5 stops. In the Olin Library, visitors get to see an iconic hand-knitted sweater and sneakers that Mister Rogers wore on his show. Fun fact: His mom knitted this sweater.
- Crozier says living like his uncle is tough, but it’s a good goal. “[Rogers] said all the decisions we make are either to do something with love or without it.” The self-guided, audio-enhanced Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Walking Tour runs weekdays through March 31, 2025. It’s free.