HULBERT – Cowboy humorist and native son Will Rogers may have died over 70 years ago, but his memory lives on, thanks to folks like Doug Watson.

Watson visited Hulbert Thursday, giving presentations at both Hulbert Schools and the Hulbert Public Library as part of the Will Rogers in Schools program sponsored by the Will Rogers Memorial Museum.

“I spoke to 200 third- through sixth-graders and about 75 high-schoolers this morning,” said Watson. “Occasionally, when it works out as it has today, I visit libraries and other organizations.”

Watson, a retired professor from Oklahoma Baptist University, said he began portraying Rogers a little over 13 years ago.

“I made some good friends at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore and for me, this program is fun and informative for the kids,” he said.

Watson said since Rogers has been dead for so long, keeping his memory alive among younger people is often a difficult task. When he visits the schools, he gives a PowerPoint presentation about Rogers’ life history, then moves into the Rogers character to give people a more personal glimpse of the cowboy humorist’s nature.

“Most people think of Will Rogers as a cowboy,” said Watson. “But he was much more than that. He was a political humorist, newspaper columnist, author, film actor and showman.”

During the presentation, Watson donned a cowboy hat, and grabbed a rope while speaking in character, recreating many of the tricks for which Rogers was famous. Watson also stuck a piece of gum in his mouth, saying Rogers often performed rope tricks while talking and chewing gum.

Rogers was born on a homestead ranch near Oologah. The home still exists today, but was moved a half mile from its original spot when Oologah Lake was built. Rogers’ father was a banker, a Cherokee legislator and a senior delegate on the statehood committee, and valued education.

Unfortunately, Rogers wasn’t much of a student.

“A friend of my dad’s gave me a piece of rope and told me, ‘Will, if you keep this with you, you’ll always have something to do with your hands and it’ll keep you out of trouble,’” said Watson in character. “Well, my hands were busy. ...”

According to Watson, Rogers often resented teachers who ignored him, preferring to call on brighter students in the class.

“So, I’d stand in a corner with my rope, working my spinning tricks,” he said. “Sooner or later, the teacher would take my rope. But that was all right. I always seemed to have another one. I kept just enough rope to hang myself.”

After moving from school to school, Rogers finally gave up on education at age 17 without graduating. His father would have liked to have seen his son do more with his education, but it was simply not to be. “I told my father I wanted to be a cow man just like him,” said Watson, in character. “Dad said ‘No.’ He always had a way with words.”