born June 28, 1902, New York, N.Y., U.S.
died Dec. 30, 1979, New York City
U.S. composer.
Rodgers studied at Columbia University, where he met his future collaborator Lorenz Hart , and he later studied composition at the Institute of Musical Art. His first success with Hart (who wrote lyrics) was a revue, The Garrick Gaieties (1925). Their comedy On Your Toes (1936), with the jazz ballet Slaughter on Tenth Avenue , established serious dance as a permanent part of musical comedy. Among their other collaborations were Babes in Arms (1937), The Boys from Syracuse (1938), and Pal Joey (1940), which was revived in 1952 with great success. After Hart's death, Rodgers worked with librettist Oscar Hammerstein . Their Oklahoma! (1943, Pulitzer Prize) enjoyed a then-unprecedented Broadway run of 2,248 performances; their 17-year partnership produced successes such as South Pacific (1949), The King and I (1951), and The Sound of Music (1959) and made them the foremost team in the history of the American musical .