Television host, producer, author, and ordained Presbyterian minister, Fred McFeely Rogers (1928–2003) was southwestern Pennsylvania’s favorite neighbor. As creator and host of the heralded children’s TV series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, which aired nationally from 1968 to 2001, he became an American icon.

Born and raised in Latrobe, Westmoreland County, Rogers later lived and worked in Pittsburgh’s East End, producing his TV show at WQED, the country’s first public television station. Through his gentle demeanor and thoughtful storytelling, Rogers championed kindness and self-worth. His Emmy Award-winning show tackled complex topics like grief, divorce, and racism with honesty and care, and he was recognized for his efforts with a 1969 Peabody Award and 1999 induction into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

Rogers was famously known for the cardigan sweaters and canvas sneakers he changed into at the start of each episode, and examples of each are on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

But more than his clothes, it is the message he routinely shared with viewers young and old—that everyone is special just the way they are—that is the most enduring legacy of Fred Rogers.