Neighborhood Characters to Appear at Mr. Rogers Book Event

Mr. McFeely, Handyman Negri and Joanne Rogers will re-visit Mr. Rogers Neighborhood through a special book event at Duquesne.

Maxwell King, author of The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers, will join the three personalities to discuss Fred Rogers’ continued relevance at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7, in the Charles J. Dougherty Ballroom in the Power Center.

During the event, Rogers (wife of the late Fred Rogers) and series’ regulars David Newell (who played Mr. McFeely) and Joe Negri (who played Handyman Negri) will share their insights about the show, which changed children’s television when it debuted 50 years ago.

King served for two years as the founding director of the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at St. Vincent College. In 2011, he left the center to write The Good Neighbor. King is currently the president and chief executive officer of The Pittsburgh Foundation.

“Fred Rogers was enormously influential in television history and in the lives of millions of children,” said President Ken Gormley, who will moderate the event. “Max King’s remarkable book captures Fred Rogers’ compassion, kindness and commitment to children and the world. We’re thrilled to host this special reunion to celebrate his life and legacy, as we welcome his widow Joanne and some of the memorable characters who made Mr. Rogers Neighborhood beloved by children and parents worldwide.”

A New York Times bestseller, the newly released book uses original interviews, oral histories and archival documents to trace Fred Rogers’ personal, professional and artistic lives. King includes childhood stories, Rogers’ relationship with his family and his close collaboration with leading childhood development experts to provide the definitive portrait of a cherished figure and enduring American icon.

A reception and book signing will follow the event. For more information or to register, visit the event website.