Fred Phelps

Fred Waldron Phelps Sr. (November 13, 1929 – March 19, 2014) was an American pastor, civil rights activist, anti-gay activist and disbarred lawyer. He was born in Meridian, Mississippi.^[1] He is best known for heading the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), an independent Baptist church based in Topeka, Kansas.^[1] He was often called "the most hated man in America".^[2]

Fred Phelps
Phelps in October 2002
Born	Fred Waldron Phelps (1929-11-13)November 13, 1929 Meridian, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	March 19, 2014(2014-03-19) (aged 84) Topeka, Kansas, U.S.
Education	Associate's degree, John Muir College, 1951 Law degree, Washburn University, 1964
Occupation(s)	Pastor, lawyer
Organization	Westboro Baptist Church
Spouse	Margie Marie Simms ​ (m. 1952)​
Children	13, including Shirley Phelps-Roper and Nathan Phelps
Relatives	Megan Phelps-Roper (granddaughter)

Early life

On September 3, 1935, when Phelps was five years old, his mother died of esophageal cancer.^[3] After the death of their mother, Phelps and his younger sister were raised by their great-aunt Irene Jordan in Meridian. In 1950, Jordan died in a car accident. On December 25, 1944, Phelps' father married Olive Briggs, and Phelps and his sister were raised by their father and stepmother in Meridian.

Legal career

Phelps earned a law degree from Washburn University in 1964. He started the Phelps Chartered law firm. In 1989 Phelps' legal career ended.^[4]

Political views

Phelps was a member of the Democratic Party.

Death

Phelps died from congestive heart failure on the morning of March 19, 2014 in Topeka, Kansas. He was 84 years old.^[5]