Will Rogers, Jr. may have remembered Wise’s friendship with his father when he served as California Representative and worked to convince others on Capitol Hill to rescue Jews in Europe from Nazis’ terror. President Roosevelt’s inaction to save the Jews baffled Will Rogers, Jr. who said, “I could not understand the Administration that I supported. I could not understand their attitude towards the rescue of large numbers of Jews …it would have been the humanitarian thing that I would have thought Roosevelt should have been in favor of. I could not understand why he was not.”
For decades, Wise represented the voice of his faith for the city, the nation, and internationally. Beloved by many, his opinions mattered to politicians, media, preachers, and artists. “My dear Dr. Wise, I am sending you a copy of my play, THE DARK HOURS which deals with the events leading up to the Crucifixion of Jesus. …If you have the time and inclination to me your candid reaction to it, I should be very grateful indeed,” wrote Don Marquis in