Pittsburgh Theological Seminary - The Minister of the Neighborhood

Stop on Mister Rogers, a free self-guided tour.

Few viewers knew that the man in the cardigan was also an ordained minister. Fred Rogers began taking classes at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in the fall of 1954, fitting them into his lunch breaks from the television station across town.

It took him eight years of part-time study. He graduated in 1962, magna cum laude, and was ordained in the Presbyterian Church the following year, with the unusual charge to serve children and families through television rather than from a pulpit. That idea shaped everything about his program: the slow pace, the direct gaze into the camera, and the willingness to talk with children about hard feelings.

The seminary still remembers him. When he graduated, his parents endowed a prize in his name that is awarded to a student each year, and the school later named an award for creative ministry after him.

Getting here: Drive about 2.5 miles northeast to East Liberty. The campus is at 616 North Highland Avenue.

Did you know?: The seminary named Rogers a distinguished alumnus in 1978 and gave him its highest honor in 1997.

Photo op: The campus lawn along North Highland Avenue gives a good view of the main buildings.

For kids: Rogers studied in short bursts at lunchtime for years. Ask children what they would like to learn a little at a time.

Hours and cost: Working seminary campus. View from outside; the grounds are not a visitor attraction.