Millicent Rogers

Millicent Rogers

Millicent Rogers was an heiress, granddaughter of one of the original founders of Standard Oil. While she was a legend in the fashion industry, she was a compassionate and tireless humanitarian as well.

Rogers assembled influential friends with the purpose of addressing the rights and cultural value of Native Americans. In 1947, she and authors Frank Waters, Oliver Lafarge and Lucius Beebe hired lawyers and went to Washington to lobby for Indian citizenship. At that time, Native Americans were considered as numbers and couldn't even get passports. Their mission was the formation of more humane policies in which to govern America's affairs with the eight northern Pueblos in New Mexico. Rogers also successfully fought for Indian art to be classified as "historic," thus providing protection and status. Because Rogers was well-known and influential, she called upon the magazines that had written so much about her to help spread the word of her cause.

Millicent Rogers was a style setter, fashion icon of the time, patron saint of fashion, and a designer of jewelry. She was able to convince Balenciaga to make her some peasant blouses. Considering the kind of influence and money she had, it's humbling to know she was buried "in an Indian blouse, skirt, moccasins and wrapped in a Navajo blanket.

Rogers was in poor health most of her life. She'd contracted rheumatic fever when she was 8 and died of an enlarged heart when she was 50 and on Jan 1, 1952 she was buried in Taos.

Millicent Rogers Museum
Post Office Box 1210
Taos, NM 87571
Phone (575) 758-2462
www.millicentrogers.org/