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Pittsburgh International Airport honors Fred Rogers but won't adopt his name | TribLIVE.com
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Pittsburgh International Airport honors Fred Rogers but won't adopt his name

Theresa Clift
Theresa Clift

Mister Rogers Forever Stamp

The U. S. Postal Service unveiled the stamp on March 23 at The Fred Rogers Studio inside WQED in Oakland.

Pittsburgh International Airport hosted a celebration of Fred Rogers last week, but Pittsburghers who want the airport to change its name to honor the children's television star shouldn't get their hopes up.

In early 2017, a petition to rename the airport after Rogers gained more than 13,000 signatures and global attention .

At that time, an airport spokesman said the airport, which had just gone through a rebranding effort, would not be renamed because airport officials wanted to “continue to advance ‘Pittsburgh International Airport' as a global aviation leader.”

In a blog post to the airport website Thursday, spokeswoman Alyson Walls presented additional reasoning for that decision: People around the world might not immediately know what city to associate with “Fred Rogers International Airport.”

“Just as you might not know that Charles M. Schulz airport is actually in Sonoma County, Calif., travelers may not know that Fred Rogers International is in Pittsburgh,” she wrote. “And that wouldn't be very neighborly, especially when officials are working hard to make sure everyone from Latrobe to Reykjavik (Iceland) knows all about the wonderful things happening in our revitalized region.”

To read the full blog post, click here .

The airport's event last week drew national attention, including a piece in USA Today that noted the petition .

Airport employees wore red sweaters and tennis shoes, hosted giveaways and invited travelers to write their memories of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood on a large chalkboard.

Mister Rogers' famous cardigan and sneakers are now part of an updated, permanent airport exhibit.

Airport officials said they consider these efforts to be a more fitting tribute than renaming the airport.

“So, Pittsburgh International Airport will continue to host events and exhibits paying homage to one of our most beloved residents. But we're going to keep our name just the same,” Walls wrote. “We think Fred would agree it makes us special, just the way we are.”


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Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport hosted a celebration of Fred Rogers in March.
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Focus Features
Pennsylvanians are good neighbors, according to a new survey by window and door manufacturer Windows USA that measured generosity in various scenarios. Maybe that's because we learned from everybody's favorite neighbor, Latrobe native Fred Rogers.
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JOANNE KLIMOVICH HARROP
Joanne Rogers, wife of the late Fred Rogers, poses in front of the United States Postal Service's Mister Rogers Forever Stamp, which was unveiled March 23 at WQED's Fred Rogers Studio in Oakland where her husband's show 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood' was filmed until 2001.
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JOANNE KLIMOVICH HARROP
Rick Sebak was the emcee for the unveiling ceremony of the United States Postal Service's Mister Rogers Forever Stamp on March 23 at WQED's Fred Rogers Studio in Oakland where the late Fred Rogers' show 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood' was filmed until 2001. Sebak is a producer for WQED Multimedia.
GTRLIVROGERSTAMP3
JOANNE KLIMOVICH HARROP
The United States Postal Service unveiled the Mister Rogers Forever Stamp on March 23 at WQED's Fred Rogers Studio in Oakland where the late Fred Rogers' show 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood' was filmed until 2001.
GTRLIVROGERSTAMP4
JOANNE KLIMOVICH HARROP
The United States Postal Service unveiled the Mister Rogers Forever Stamp on March 23 at WQED's Fred Rogers Studio in Oakland where the late Fred Rogers' show 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood' was filmed until 2001.
GTRLIVROGERSTAMPCOOKIES
COURTESY PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
In conjunction with the U.S. Postal Service's unveiling of the Mister Rogers Forever stamp on March 23, the Pittsburgh International Airport honored the 50-year-legacy of Rogers where employees wore red cardigan sweaters and buttons, and travelers were invited to share their memories of 'Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood' on a large chalkboard in the Airside Terminal Center Core. Refreshments and giveaways including red shoelaces were offered.
GTRLIVROGERSTAMPAIRPORT
COURTESY PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
In conjunction with the U.S. Postal Service's unveiling of the Mister Rogers Forever stamp on March 23, the Pittsburgh International Airport honored the 50-year-legacy of Rogers where employees wore red cardigan sweaters and buttons, and travelers were invited to share their memories of 'Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood' on a large chalkboard in the Airside Terminal Center Core. Refreshments and giveaways including red shoelaces were offered.