Edmund Law Rogers Jr.

Who was Edmund Law Rogers Jr.?

Edmund Law Rogers, also known under the pseudonym Leslie Edmunds, was a stage actor who appeared in dramas such as The Octoroon. He is also a founding father of the Kappa Sigma fraternity at the University of Virginia.

Rogers was born July 1, 1850, in Baltimore, Maryland to a prominent Maryland family. The family estate, Druid Hill, today is one of the largest city parks in North America. Rogers prepared for college at the James Kinner Academy in Baltimore, where founder Frank Courtney Nicodemus was one of his classmates. As with George Miles Arnold, Rogers entered the University of Virginia as a first-year student in 1869. He succeed Arnold as Grand Master of Zeta Chapter. Rogers studied architecture and also developed an interest in acting. His graphic talent is apparent in the badge of Kappa Sigma Fraternity, which Rogers designed.

Eventually his interest in acting turned into a career in the theater in 1880. Rogers was a popular lead and supporting actor for productions of the time. He was quick of wit and possessed enormous charm. Rogers died December 19, 1893; he was buried in Baltimore, Maryland in the Buchanan and Rogers burial ground in Druid Hill.