I was very pleased to see Thomas Firey’s thoughtful series on the classical liberal currents in what was, arguably, the greatest television comedy ever, M*A*S*H. The two original stars of the show were Alan Alda and the late Wayne Rogers. What is lesser known of the latter, Wayne attended many Liberty Fund conferences between 2003 and 2015. I had the privilege of knowing him for a number of years during his long and productive relationship with Liberty Fund.
Wayne first became acquainted with Liberty Fund through a personal relationship with a member of the Liberty Fund Board of Directors. Wayne began to attend our events, and he grew to love Liberty Fund. I still vividly remember watching Wayne on his Fox Business show “Cashing In” wearing a Liberty Fund tie early on Saturday mornings. I first met Wayne at a conference in 2006 on biology and the origins of virtue (directed by a long time friend of EconLib, the ever humble Mike Munger). Wayne and I hit it off immediately and over the years I had the opportunity to work with him twice as he directed Liberty Fund conferences.
Wayne’s involvement was not simply because of his fame as a celebrity. He was a graduate of Princeton and was sharp as a whip. Sure he could tell stories about his days on M*A*S*H or hanging out with Cher, but he was a voracious reader, and a tenacious advocate for positions he believed him. Woe unto the person who disagreed with him on Glass-Stegall. Anyone who thought he was just some Hollywood figure quickly learned that Wayne was an intellectual of the first order who was prepared to push you if you couldn’t defend your position or the text didn’t support your views.
For a while, people used to joke that Wayne Rogers must have financially regretted leaving the cast of M*A*S*H after just three seasons because of a contract dispute. But trust me, Wayne got the last laugh. At the root of his departure was what he described as his attraction to puzzles, most of them involving how to make money in a wide range of businesses and endeavors. As I recall, the first deal that Wayne told me he was involved with was river barges, and because Wayne could tell a story, he made a business story about river barges seem like a pirate’s adventure along the Mississippi.
He went on to to be involved in a multitude of other businesses including wine making, banks, investments for some of his acting friends, such as Peter Falk, and perhaps most famously he was co-owner of a little bridal shop in New York called Kleinfeld. You may have heard of it because Wayne produced one of the most popular reality shows ever based at the shop called “Say Yes to the Dress” as just one of the many businesses he was involved with. In short, Wayne did just fine.
I’ll always remember Wayne for his energy and drive, his generosity with this time, the passion with which he lived his life, and his firm and unyielding commitment to the principles of liberty. He loved playing what he called his “one string banjo” – his tendency to emphasize a point again and again until he convinced you of his position. He was one of a kind, and as part of a one of a kind show, Wayne fit right in at the 4077th. And he would have loved Tom’s discussion of the show’s classical liberal themes.
READER COMMENTS
Peter Calcagno
Nov 9 2020 at 11:35pm
M*A*S*H was without a doubt my favorite show growing up, and I am confident I have seen every episode at least twice. Thomas’s article on the classical liberal themes in the show makes me extremely excited. However, one of the greatest Liberty Fund experiences was the one I participated with Wayne Rogers. I will never forget seeing his name on the participant list and thinking wow someone else is here with that name. When I realized it was the Wayne Rogers it took everything in me not to go all fan boy at the opening night reception. Pat Lynch talked me off the ledge. I got to see a whole other side to this actor who had been on my favorite show. I got to sit next to him and hear him articulate his thoughts. He cared about these ideas, which made me respect him all the more. I waited until the last night when Pat finally gave me permission to go all fan boy. It was truly a memorable experience.
Tamara Silva
Nov 10 2020 at 11:52am
That was great. I didn’t know all that information about Wayne Rogers. It was great to read about all he was involved with. I believe when he told the people of MASH that he was leaving, they said that he was giving up a great job to make a lot of money. He told them he already had something lined up because he was a great businessman.
David Haarmeyer
Nov 10 2020 at 12:27pm
Excellent profile of an interesting man of many talents!
Bill Adams
Nov 11 2020 at 3:13am
The show was never the same after he left, I only watch the reruns with him in.
Tracy Braat
Nov 12 2020 at 11:37am
Wayne…only knew of his acting on MASH and Trapper John MD…
The wedding dress…Kleinfelds..wow!
I was very little when my mum, a new window at 24, let me watch MASH…the Korean was was three years or so….
MASH had 11 years to show the human side of war.
I now have a greater respect for Wayne, a graduate of Princeton, the Liberty Fund Member, and was friends with Cher!
Great person gone too soon.
David Boaz
Nov 22 2020 at 7:48pm
Wayne Rogers was great as Trapper John in MASH. But it was Pernell Roberts who played the older version in Trapper John MD.
Nathanael Snow
Nov 19 2020 at 2:26pm
One of my favorite rolls played by Wayne Rogers was in “The Girl Who Spelled Freedom.” That film was one of my earliest exposures to the lives of immigrants, and it promotes the importance of liberty of migration.
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