World traveler meets Will Rogers
Starring Elwood and Will
Elwood “directs” guests into the Will Rogers Memorial Museum Theatre.
Elwood, an eternal fifth grader, has traveled about five million miles in almost three decades, but he’s not through. Created in Doug Hand’s Rock Island, Ill., fifth grade, he is on his way to Salina, Kansas, after spending Will Rogers Days in Claremore.
He ended his Oklahoma trip with a visit to Westside fourth grade students of Paula Watson, Kelsey Hanigan, Michala Kedzior, Debbie Aitken and Pam Powers.
Elwood was introduced to Will Rogers through Carole and Jack Bender of Tulsa, creators of comic strip Alley Oop and a special Will Rogers strip last summer.
He was right at home with cowboys, horses, military and politicians — and Will Rogers. He has met Harry Carey Jr., Hollywood actor and Rogers’ family friend. He has been to the White House, to Desert Storm, to the nation’s Capitol and to Mexico, a place Will often visited.
Elwood has traveled Route 66, part of which was once called Will Rogers Highway, attended sporting events and traveled abroad.
At the Will Rogers Memorial, he met special guests for Will Rogers Days — Kem Rogers, Will’s grandson; Jennifer Rogers Etcheverry, Will’s great-granddaughter; Wyatt McCrea, grandson of Joel McCrea who played in two movies with Will; Charles Banks Wilson, Will artist; and hundreds of others along the way.
Created in 1980, Elwood’s motto is “Dream Big” and he travels the world on behalf of others, inspiring children to believe in a dream, to have the desire to follow that dream and see it through.
Elwood was created when a parent of one of Mr. Hand’s students objected to the class reading “Pinocchio,” the story of the puppet coming to life and having human dreams. So he decided to make something real.
Elwood teaches that dreams are the purest form of imagination and imagination is the key that will open any door. He can’t hear, see, walk or talk; yet he has been on major TV network shows and radio programs and his story has appeared in newspapers and magazines around the world.
Through it all he smiles — because he has been allowed to follow his dream, telling children they can make dreams come true.
Despite remaining in the fifth grade, he received a BBD (Bachelor of Big Dreams) from Yale University in May 1994 and Master of Arts in big dreams from Central Florida in 2001.
While at the Claremore museum, he visited with several Memorial touring groups including those from Texas in Tulsa for the National Preservation Society Conference.
Elwood meets Westside fourth graders
Elwood shared his vision of dreams with Westside fourth graders including Tracy Reeder, son of Tracy and Roberta; Jacob Ellis, son of Nova and Eric; and Courtney Cardwell, daughter of Anthony and Vona; before he packed up and left Oklahoma for Kansas.
Meet Will
Elwood has always wanted to meet Will Rogers and gets a close-up and personal visit with the Jo Davidson statue in the Will Rogers Memorial rotunda.
Texans in Oklahoma
While Elwood was at Will Rogers Memorial, he met a group of West Texas Preservation Society members. Dorothy Rosson of Snider, Texas, shares a cookie with him.
Elwood arrives
Will Rogers Memorial Museum staff Neva Kegley, Steve Gragert, Sherry Covington and Tami Humburg welcome Elwood to the museum.