Billy James Hargis
Billy James Hargis | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 3, 1925 |
| Died | November 27, 2004 (aged 79) Tulsa, Oklahoma United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Ozark Bible College Pikes Peak Bible Seminary Burton College and Seminary |
| Occupation(s) | Christian evangelist Conservative political activist |
| Spouse | Betty Jane Secrest Hargis (married 1951) |
| Children | Bryan Joseph Hargis (died in infancy) Becky J. Frank Bonnie Jane Choisnard Brenda Jo Epperley Billy James Hargis II (deceased) |
| Parent(s) | Jimmie Earsel Hargis and Laura Lucille Hargis |
Billy James Hargis (August 3, 1925 – November 27, 2004) was an American Christian evangelist. At the height of his popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, his Christian Crusade ministry was broadcast on over 500 radio stations and 250 television stations. He promoted an anti-Communist, segregationist message as well as evangelizing, and founded a radio station, monthly newspaper, and a college in Tulsa, Oklahoma to support his ministries. In 1974, several students at his American Christian College accused Hargis of sexual misconduct; however, the Tulsa district attorney found no evidence of wrongdoing. Hargis went into partial retirement, and the college closed in 1977. He continued to publish his newspaper and write books.