An orphan who became one of the most famous Christian ministers in the United States, Billy Sunday (1862–1935) preached in hundreds of American cities and was famous for his strong voice, folksy sermons, and indomitable energy. He was both a traditionalist—Sunday’s religious views were highly conservative—and an innovator whose canny use of mass media paved the way for such later fundamentalist evangelicals as Billy Graham (1918–).
William Ashley Sunday was born in Ames, Iowa, during the Civil War. His father, a Union soldier, died a few weeks after the boy’s birth, and his mother was forced to put the child in an orphanage.
In the orphanage, Sunday displayed the talent that first made him famous: baseball. A speedy runner, he was discovered by a talent scout and played professionally for the Chicago White Stockings, Pittsburgh Alleghenys, and Philadelphia Phillies. Although error-prone in the outfield, Sunday was a fan favorite for his exploits on the base paths and was often among the league’s leaders in stolen bases.
After retiring from baseball in 1891, Sunday began his career in the ministry. He started touring in 1896, crisscrossing the Midwest by rail and giving sermons at revival meetings. Sunday used his fame as a baseball player to attract publicity to his campaigns, and he often umpired amateur games in the cities he visited.
In his preaching, Sunday thundered against drinking, evolution, and dancing. Although he was a Presbyterian, Sunday’s services were interdenominational, which increased attendance. Under the direction of his wife, Nell Thompson Sunday (1868–1957), Sunday’s tours became a huge, complex business sustained by millions of dollars in donations.
Sunday reached the height of his popularity during World War I, which he avidly supported. His advocacy also helped pass the Eighteenth Amendment, which banned alcohol in 1919. However, scandals caused by Sunday’s sons dimmed his reputation, and by the time he died at age seventy-two, his influence was much diminished.
ADDITIONAL FACTS
- Sunday stole eighty-four bases in 1890, finishing in third place in the National League that year behind Phillies teammate William “Sliding Billy” Hamilton (1866–1940), with 102, and Brooklyn Bridegrooms second baseman Hubert “Hub” Collins (1864–1892), with eighty-five. Sunday is still among the top 100 single-season base stealers in league history.
- All three of Sunday’s sons were involved in sex scandals that hurt the preacher’s reputation. The oldest, George, committed suicide in 1933.
- Although he began holding revival meetings in 1896, Billy Sunday was not actually ordained a minister until 1903.
