 listening library presents Who Was Mr. Rogers? by Diane Bailey. Read for you by Leon Nixon. Who Was Mr. Rogers? One day when Fred Rogers was in high school, his teacher asked him for a favor. Another boy, Jim Stumball, had gotten seriously hurt during football practice. He'd be in the hospital for a while. He was well enough to keep up with his homework, though, if Fred would take his books to him. Fred hesitated. He and Jim didn't know each other well. Jim was a popular athlete. He was a star on the football team, the basketball team, and the track team. He got straight A's. He succeeded at everything, and everyone liked him. Fred was not at all like Jim. He wasn't athletic or outgoing. Fred wanted to help out, though, so he agreed to visit Jim in the hospital. Fred was surprised at how well they got along. Jim was more than a good athlete. He was a good person. Jim and Fred became friends. When Jim came back to school, he spread the word. That Rogers kid's okay. Fred's friendship with Jim helped him become more confident and outgoing, and Fred was always grateful to him. Jim had shown Fred how one person can change someone's life. Years later, Fred did the same thing. He created and starred in his own children's television program, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. Fred used the program to help kids understand they were special just by being themselves. There were always welcome in Fred's world, just like Jim Stumbaw had made Fred welcome in his. Chapter 1. A Shy Boy. Fred Rogers was born on March 20, 1928 into a wealthy family in La Trobe, Pennsylvania, not far from the city of Pittsburgh. His father