High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! William Vann Rogers, generally known as Will Rogers, Jr. (October 20, 1911–July 9, 1993), was a son of legendary humorist Will Rogers (1879–1935) and his wife, the former Betty Blake (1879–1944). He was a Democratic U. S. Representative from California from January 3, 1943 until May 23, 1944, when he resigned to return to the United States Army. Rogers had several other careers, notably as a newspaper owner/publisher, an actor, writer, and a political commentator.