Route 66 - The Will Rogers Highway

Originally called US Highway 66, Route 66 is a classic symbol of Americana. But did you know it was also known as the Will Rogers Highway?

Will Rogers was one of the most famous Americans in the 1930s. He was a movie star, performer, radio personality, and newspaper columnist. Over 40 million people read Will Rogers’ newspaper column every day. He was a superstar. When he suddenly died in a plane crash in 1935, the nation mourned. It was a national tragedy, and people wanted to pay tribute to Will’s memory. Just days after his death, several Tulsa residents launched a campaign to urge Congress to rename Highway 66 as the Will Rogers Highway, noting that it connected Rogers’ hometown of Claremore, Oklahoma, to Hollywood.

In January of 1936, a Will Rogers Highway logo was unveiled. The name and logo were highly publicized when the highway was fully paved in 1938.

1936 article announcing the Will Rogers Highway logo

In 1952, Warner Bros. released a film titled The Story of Will Rogers, starring Will Rogers Jr. as his father. To promote the new movie, the studio sponsored a caravan that drove along Route 66. One million windshield stickers were printed, and special commemorative leaflets were handed out at the dozens of stops along the way. At each state border, a bronze marker was installed to re-dedicate Route 66 as the Will Rogers Highway.

Construction of the new interstate highways started in the mid-1950s, gradually bypassing the old Highway 66. Route 66 was officially decertified in 1985. Few of the bronze Will Rogers Highway plaques remain, but in the 1990s, several were replaced with granite historical markers. Today, granite markers for Will Rogers Highway can be found in Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, and Texas.

As Route 66 celebrates its 100th anniversary, we’re here to remind the world of Will Rogers and his link to America’s Mother Road.

Learn more about Will Rogers' life and his incredible career.