John Franklyn "J. Frank" Norris. A fiery fundamentalist pastor during the Roaring Twenties, Norris had a penchant for controversy and sensationalism that brought him fame and fortune, not to mention several criminal indictments along the way. His abilities as an orator and organizer drew thousands into his orbit, but his intemperate and often violent tendencies ensured that he would never be accepted as a mainstream religious leader in America - a role he craved. He built his church, First Baptist in Fort Worth, Texas, into what was for a time one of the largest in the world. It was America's first megachurch.

Henry Clay "H.C." Meacham. The first mayor of Fort Worth, Texas, under a new city charter approved in 1924, Meacham had already made a name for himself as the owner of one of the city's most successful department stores. His tenure as mayor would be marked by conflict with J. Frank Norris, who never heeded the adage "You can't fight city hall."

Ossian E. "O.E." Carr. Hired as the first city manager for Fort Worth under the new charter, he brought to the city on the Trinity River vast managerial experience. One of his specialties was to find ways to collect new revenue for municipalities, even if it meant raising taxes or looking for those who, in his opinion, had not paid a fair share. He wasn't on the job very long before he started examining J. Frank Norris's enterprises.

Amon G. Carter. The wealthy and powerful owner of the Fort Worth Star Telegram, as well as radio station WBAP, was Fort Worth's chief booster in the 1920s. He and a tight-knit band of unofficial oligarchs virtually ran Fort Worth in those days from the elegant confines of the Fort Worth Club. One of the few newspaper owners to beat William Randolph Hearst at his own game, Carter was the city's first media baron.

Dexter Elliott "D.E." Chipps. A wealthy lumberman who ran a successful wholesale business from his offices in Fort Worth's Wheat Building,
Chipps was a proud member of the Fort Worth Club. He and Mayor
Meacham became close friends.

Mae Chipps. The estranged wife of D.E. Chipps had long hoped she could be reconciled with her husband for the sake of their fourteen-year-old son,
Dexter Elliott Jr. She had never stopped loving Mr. Chipps.

Lillian Gaddie Norris. A pastor's wife, strong, and passionate, Mrs. Norris was a full partner in life and work with her lightning rod of a husband.

Jane "Miss Jane" Hartwell. The devout daughter of Baptist missionaries,
Miss Jane, as she was known, was Norris’s secretary, office manager, and gal Friday. She carried herself with a slightly aristocratic air and was referred to at times as "the generalissimo." Hartwell was, above all, a fierce defender and guardian of her pastor, someone who would do just about anything for him.

Marcet Haldeman-Julius. One of the most famous journalists of the era,
Marcet was the co-publisher of a highly popular monthly journal, the
Haldeman- Julius Monthly - better known as The Little Blue Books - which sold millions of copies in the 1920s.

Jack Gordon. As popular writer for the Fort Worth Press, Gordon provided readers color and detail about Norris and his antics. This was possible because the preacher seemed to be willing to talk to him. Gordon never figured out why, but he was just glad to have access.

W.P. "Wild Bill" Mclean. One of the best-known lawyers in the American
Southwest in the 1920s, he was known for his "colorful" and highly effective courtroom methods. He also hated J. Frank Norris.

Dayton Moses. A highly popular Texas lawyer, he put his reputation on the line to defend J. Frank Norris. The standoff between Moses and McLean became a story itself.

Lloyd P. Bloodworth. J. Frank Norris persuaded Bloodworth, a longtime Methodist minister, to become a Baptist. Norris ultimately ordained him and placed him on the First Baptist Church payroll. He also happened to be the Grand Dragon of the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan.

William Jennings Bryan. The Great Commoner, as he was known, was in the twilight of his career when he visited J. Frank Norris and First Baptist
Church. He was clearly impressed with the ministry - and the minister.
Norris cultivated, some might say exploited, a relationship with Bryan.
And when Bryan died, J. Frank Norris sought his mantle as America's premier fundamentalist leader.