Inside the National Statuary Hall, located inside the US Capital building, stands the imposing bronze figure of Thomas Starr King. A Unitarian minister of humble beginnings and a preternaturally gifted orator, King became one of the most famous preachers in all of 19th-century New England. After hearing the call to minister to the people of California, King accepted a position leading the First Unitarian Church of San Francisco. There King not only spoke ardently and persuasively on spiritual matters, he also took a profound interest in social issues, working tirelessly to improve the lives of his fellow Californians and the nation as a whole.
King is credited with personally raising $1.5 million for the US Sanitary Commission — the forerunner to the American Red Cross — which cared for wounded soldiers during the Civil War. King’s efforts amounted to a full one-fifth of the total donations which came from every state then in the union. His care and support for the troops alleviated the suffering of many and undoubtedly saved countless lives.
During the Civil War, King spoke ceaselessly and fervently against a movement in California that argued for secession. He was lauded as “the orator who saved the nation” and was credited for preventing the dissolution of the Union by none other than president Abraham Lincoln.
In short, Thomas Starr King was a great American.
Too bad that soon he will be unceremoniously chopped down and replaced with a statue of Ronald Reagan, an actor who worked with monkeys: