'Won't You Be My Neighbor?'

The U.S. Postal Service will issue the Mister Rogers Forever stamp at the First-Day-Of-Issue ceremony at WQED’s Fred Rogers Studio in Pittsburgh, PA, on March 23.

Fred Rogers (1928–2003) was known as a beloved television neighbor to generations of children. His groundbreaking public television series “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” inspired and educated young viewers with warmth, sensitivity and honesty.

Filmed in Pittsburgh and first distributed nationally in 1968 by a predecessor of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), the program was innovative and unlike anything on television for children at that time. Each episode of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” began with its host welcoming the audience into his television house. While singing “Won't You Be My Neighbor?” Rogers always put on his trademark cardigan, changed into sneakers and then introduced the day’s topic. He discussed many of the experiences of growing up, delicately covering everything from sharing and friendship to difficult subjects like anger, fear and divorce.