J. Frank Norris

John Franklyn Norris (September 18, 1877 – August 20, 1952) was the most prominent American preacher of the 1920s. He was a leading Fundamentalist and preached at the First Baptist Church of Fort Worth in Texas from 1909 until 1952. He made use of radio and his congregation numbered in the thousands. It has been referred to as "the first megachurch." His campaign against gambling was opposed by the mayor of Fort Worth. Norris shot and killed Dexter Elliot Chips, a wealthy businessman and a close friend of the mayor, on July 17, 1926. Chips had attacked Norris at his office. The trial that followed was one of the most sensational of the decade. Norris was acquitted on grounds of self-defense.

In 1947, Norris wrote a letter to U.S. President Harry Truman urging recognition of Israel. "The issue is whether we will take the authority of the Bible of our mothers or the Koran with the sword and flame," Norris wrote.

Further reading

• Stokes, David R., The Shooting Salvationist: J. Frank Norris and the Murder Trial that Captivated America (2012).
• Schepis, Michael, J. Frank Norris (2012).