Spotlight Upon Unsung Heroes,

Wilbur Patterson Thirkield:

Bishop, Educator, Civil Rights Advocate

By Wilbur Thirkield Titus

In our study of heroism and its characteristics, we find that heroics are not 
confined to any sex, race, political party nor religion. History reveals to me 
that people who have sterling character, and/or perform deeds of bravery or 
self sacrifice in the interest of God’s program, his country and humanity in
general can be found in the history of every people.

It seems to me that one very admirable trait of heroes is that of taking 
responsibility for personal actions. Bishop Wilbur Patterson Thirkield (1854-
1936) comes to mind.

Bishop Thirkield was born on September 25, 1854 in Franklin, Ohio and was an 
active Methodist Episcopal bishop during the Reconstruction Period following 
the Civil War.

He was remembered for his religious works. He was a Methodist bishop who 
devoted much of his energy and time "spreading the word, "serving on boards, 
commissions and committees, and doing as much as possible to help the freed 
slaves find a wholesome life in the United States of America.

As an educator, he served on the faculties of black institutions of higher 
learning. of He served on the faculty of Gammon Theological Seminary, and was 
the president of Howard University.

Politically, as well as from the religious point of view, Bishop Thirkield 
thought that to hold a people in bondage was wrong and did what he could to 
correct the wrong.

After the end of the Civil Was, our nation was faced with the "Negro problem," 
what to do with the freed slaves. Bishop Thirkield advocated making them first
class citizens of the United States and worked tirelessly to make them so. 
Another school of thought was to "send them back to Africa."

Bishop Thirkield was revered by blacks and whites alike. Many African American
parents named their sons for him, your truly included. Wiley College of 
Marshall, Texas has a hall named in his honor.

It is reported that the revered bishop committed an indiscretion. His great 
grand daughter told me that the bishop had a son with the African American wife 
of an African American minister. This kind of action was common during that 
time and when it occurred, the father usually disappeared from the scene. Not 
so with Bishop Thirkield. His great grand daughter wrote "Old Man Thirkield, as
he was called by the family, never formerly acknowledged his only son, but also
never left him alone. Every major decision in his son’s life was made by the 
bishop - from being removed from his mother’s home to be raised on the campus 
of the then new Gammon Theological Seminary," where the bishop was employed. 
The bishop reportedly funded his son’s business ventures and the arrangement of
his marriages. Taking into consideration the times, taking the action that he 
did seems to me to be an act of courage and merits respect and admiration.

Much of this information was found on Google on the internet. Other was gained 
from interviews with family members.