Mister Rogers’ Mr. McFeely to speak at Westminster Thanksgiving worship service

Public invited to Sunday screenings of
‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor’ documentary prior to Newell’s visit

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Actor David Newell, best known as Mr. McFeely from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” will serve as the guest speaker at the New Wilmington Community Thanksgiving Worship Service, co-hosted by Westminster College’s Office of Faith and Spirituality and the New Wilmington Ministerium, at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, in the Wallace Memorial Chapel on Westminster’s campus.

Newell is an American actor primarily known for his role as deliveryman Mr. McFeely on the PBS children’s television series starring Fred Rogers. He worked in the public relations department of the Fred Rogers Company before retiring.

Born and raised near Pittsburgh, Newell began his acting career at the Pittsburgh Playhouse theatre school, which connected him to Rogers. Though he was originally hired onto Rogers’ show as a public relations manager, he was also cast as Mr. McFeely and quickly coined his “speedy delivery!” catchphrase. The pair were lifelong friends until Rogers’ death in 2003.

In addition to acting on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” Newell toured the country promoting the show as Mr. McFeely until 2015. He was the subject of a 2008 documentary feature, “Speedy Delivery,” which chronicles his travels around the world as the character. An animated version of Mr. McFeely regularly appears on “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” a series produced by the Fred Rogers Company.

“Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” a documentary highlighting the life and legacy of Rogers, will be screened in three sections on the Sundays preceding Newell’s visit. The hour-long screenings will begin at 9:15 a.m. Nov. 10, Nov. 17 and Nov. 24, in the chapel.

All events are part of the Fall 2019 Spiritual Emphasis Westminster series and are free and open to the public. Canned goods, funds for local food banks and items for New Wilmington School District children in need will be collected at the service.

For more information, contact Diane Gabriel in the Office of Faith and Spirituality at 724-946-7117 or gabriedl@westminster.edu.

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