Will Rogers (1879–1935) preceded Bob Hope as his era’s most beloved political humorist. Of Cherokee heritage, Rogers, like Hope, learned his trade in vaudeville and slyly mastered self-deprecation so that his audience would accept his satiric quips. “Will had the warmth and kindness to kindle the infinite spirit of man,” Hope remarked. “I would be grateful to a bountiful destiny if I could truly walk in the path of a man like Will Rogers.”