George H. Rogers Jr., who worked as development and community relations director at WCET-TV in Cincinnati in the early years of the station, died Dec. 27 at his home in suburban Florence, Ky. His death at age 83 followed a three-year battle with lung cancer.
Rogers started at the station, now branded as CET, almost 50 years ago. In 1972, CPB honored him for his work in promotion and development.
His daughter Mary Clair Smoot, of Lexington, Ky., told the Cincinnati Enquirer that during her father’s years at WCET, “we eight kids were all enlisted to help ‘rubber stamp’ thousands of envelopes for mass mailings.” Son George Christopher Rogers of Arlington, Va., also recalled that their volunteer work was done “in exchange for bowls of ice cream.”
Rogers was an adjunct associate professor at University of Cincinnati from 1954–76; at Xavier University, also in Cincinnati, he taught marketing and public relations from 1965–75 and 1990–94. He and his wife, Mary Frances, established the Rogers Family Scholarship Fund at the local Roger Bacon High School for minority students from single-parent homes.
Surviving are his wife; children Paul Joseph Rogers, John Gerard Rogers, George Christopher Rogers, Anne Marie Weinhold, Mary Claire Smoot, Ellen Theresa Redmond, Mark James Rogers and Robert Thomas Rogers; brother Charles Rogers; and sister Alice Uhl.
Memorial contributions may go to the Rogers Family Scholarship Fund at Roger Bacon High School, 4320 Vine St., Cincinnati, OH 45217.