Fred Phelps facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fred Phelps
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Phelps in 1962
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| Born |
Fred Waldron Phelps
November 13, 1929 Meridian, Mississippi, U.S.
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| Died | March 19, 2014 (aged 84) Topeka, Kansas, U.S.
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| Education |
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| Occupation | Pastor, lawyer |
| Organization | Westboro Baptist Church |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
Margie Marie Simms
(m. 1952) |
| Children | 13, including Shirley Phelps-Roper and Nathan Phelps |
| Relatives | Megan Phelps-Roper (granddaughter) |
Fred Waldron Phelps Sr. (born November 13, 1929 – died March 19, 2014) was an American minister. He was the pastor of the Westboro Baptist Church. He also worked as a lawyer and ran for election in Kansas.
In 1955, Phelps started the Westboro Baptist Church. The church became known for its strong and often controversial views on social issues and its public protests.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Fred Waldron Phelps was born on November 13, 1929. His birthplace was Meridian, Mississippi. He was the older of two children. His father worked for the railroad and was a Methodist. His mother was a homemaker. In 1935, his mother died when Fred was young. His aunt helped care for him and his sister.
Fred was a very good student. He was an Eagle Scout. He was also part of a high school group called Phi Kappa. He led the Young Peoples Department at his church. He was honored as the best drilled member of the Mississippi Junior State Guard. This group was like the ROTC.
He finished high school at age 16. He was ranked sixth in his class. He gave a speech at his graduation. After high school, he could have gone to the United States Military Academy at West Point. But after attending a religious meeting, he chose to become a minister instead.
In September 1947, at age 17, he became a Southern Baptist minister. He moved to Cleveland, Tennessee. There, he attended Bob Jones College. This college is now Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina.
Phelps left Bob Jones College in 1948. He moved to California. He became a street preacher while studying at John Muir College in Pasadena. In 1951, Time magazine wrote about Phelps. He talked to students about his religious beliefs. The college asked him to stop. Teaching religion was not allowed on public school campuses. So, he moved his sermons across the street. In October 1951, Phelps met Margie Marie Simms. They married in May 1952.
In 1954, Phelps, his wife, and their son moved to Topeka, Kansas. He worked as an associate pastor at East Side Baptist Church. The next year, the church leaders opened Westboro Baptist Church. Phelps became its pastor.
Legal Work
Phelps earned a law degree from Washburn University in 1964. He then started his own law firm.
Phelps' early legal cases were about civil rights. His work on civil rights cases in Kansas earned him praise. Local African-American leaders respected his efforts.
In the 1980s, Phelps received awards. These awards were from groups like the Greater Kansas City Chapter of Blacks in Government. He also got an award from the Bonner Springs branch of the NAACP. These awards recognized his work helping black clients.
Family Life
Phelps married Margie M. Simms in May 1952. They had met a year earlier in Arizona. They had 13 children together. They also had 54 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.
Church Activities and Protests
All of Phelps' public actions and protests were done with the members of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC). This is an American church that is not part of a larger Baptist group.
The church became known for its public protests. These protests often involved strong messages about social issues. The church has been involved in these types of activities since at least 1991.
Death
Phelps died on March 19, 2014. He was 84 years old. He died of natural causes.
Images for kids
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Phelps in October 2002
See also
In Spanish: Fred Phelps para niños
