Editing Will Rogers (section)

===Oklahoma honors===
Before his death, the state of Oklahoma commissioned a statue of Rogers, to be displayed as one of the two it has in the [[National Statuary Hall Collection]] of the [[United States Capitol]]. Rogers agreed on the condition that his image would be placed facing the House Chamber, supposedly so he could "keep an eye on Congress". Of the statues in this part of the Capitol, the Rogers sculpture is the only one facing the Chamber entrance—a stakeout location for camera crews looking to catch House members during and after voting. It is also a common background for reporters and lawmakers, with staff often directing the media to be at the "Will Rogers stakeout" at a certain time. According to some Capitol guides, each U.S. president rubs the left shoe of the Rogers statue for good luck before entering the House Chamber to give the [[State of the Union]] address.<ref>{{cite news| title =Police Dept., police explorers strolls through the streets of the U.S. Capitol, stops for visits| work =[[The Anderson Independent-Mail]]| date =July 18, 2007| url =http://www.independent-mail.com/news/2007/jul/18/police-dept-police-explorers-strolls-through-stree/| access-date =July 20, 2007| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070930174848/http://www.independent-mail.com/news/2007/jul/18/police-dept-police-explorers-strolls-through-stree/| archive-date =September 30, 2007| df =mdy-all}}</ref>

A state appropriation paid for the work. It was sculpted in clay by [[Jo Davidson]]. He had been a close friend of Rogers. Davidson had the work cast in bronze in [[Brussels]], Belgium. It was dedicated on June 6, 1939, before a crowd of more than 2,000&nbsp;people. The [[Architect of the Capitol]], David Lynn, said there had never been such a large ceremony or crowd in the Capitol.<ref name="curtis"/>

His [[Dog Iron Ranch|birthplace]] at the Dog Iron Ranch is located two miles east of Oologah, Oklahoma. When the [[Verdigris River]] valley was flooded to create [[Oologah Lake]] as part of a major dam project, the Rogers house was preserved by moving it about {{convert|3/4|mi|km}} to its present location overlooking the original site.

The family tomb is at the [[Will Rogers Memorial Museum]], constructed in nearby Claremore on the site purchased by Rogers in 1911 for his retirement home. On May 19, 1944,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/243344457|title=Body of Will Rogers to be Sent Home|date=May 19, 1944|work=The Daily Tribune|access-date=March 8, 2017|page=1|language=en|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Rogers's body was moved from a holding vault in Glendale, California,<ref name=":0" /> to the tomb. After his wife Betty died later that year, she was also interred there. A casting of the Davidson sculpture that stands in National Statuary Hall, paid for by Davidson, was installed at the museum. Both the birthplace and the museum are open to the public.

[[File:Will Rogers Field Dedication WPA Poster.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|[[Works Progress Administration|WPA]] poster, 1941]]

Many landmarks were named in Rogers' honor: [[Will Rogers World Airport]] in [[Oklahoma City]], where a recent expansion and renovation included the installation of a [[Oklahoma's Native Son|statue of Rogers on horseback]] in front of the terminal. The [[Will Rogers Turnpike]] is the section of [[Interstate 44]] between Tulsa and [[Joplin, Missouri]]. Near [[Vinita, Oklahoma]], a statue of Rogers was installed at the [[McDonald's (Will Rogers Turnpike)|service plaza]] that spans the interstate.

Thirteen public schools in Oklahoma have been named for Rogers, including [[Will Rogers High School]] in [[Tulsa, Oklahoma|Tulsa]]. The [[University of Oklahoma]] named the large Will Rogers Room in the [[Memorial Union (University of Oklahoma)|student union]] for him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://union.ou.edu/content/view/20/7/ |title=Oklahoma Memorial Union – Will Rogers Room |publisher=Union.ou.edu |access-date=August 14, 2009}}</ref> The [[Boy Scouts of America]] honored him with the Will Rogers Council and the [[Scouting in Oklahoma#Camp Properties 3|Will Rogers Scout Reservation]] near [[Cleveland]].

In 1947, a college football [[Will Rogers Bowl|bowl game]] was named in his honor, but the event folded after the first year.

The [[Academy of Western Artists]], based in [[Gene Autry, Oklahoma]], presents an annual Will Rogers Medallion award for excellence in western literature.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cowboypoetry.com/willrogers.htm#2012|title=Will Rogers Medallion Award|publisher=cowboypoetry.com|access-date=July 3, 2012}}</ref>
[[File:Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma 2021091100008.jpg|thumb|Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma]] [[File:Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma 2021091100011.jpg|thumb|Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma]]