James e groppi

Groppi, Father James, 1930-1985 | Wisconsin Historical Society

Historical Essay

Groppi, Father James, 1930-1985 | Wisconsin Historical Society

Father James Groppi, ca. 1968 (WHI-26543)

Catholic priest and civil rights activist; born and lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; advocated civil rights in Milwaukee, especially on the issue of open housing; fought for welfare reform and  Native American rights; protested the Vietnam War; influenced by Martin Luther King Jr., after meeting him in Montgomery, Alabama.

An article on Fr. Groppi's Milwaukee work, including a short biography, appeared in the Summer 2007 issue of the Wisconsin Magazine of History (here).

The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the James Groppi Papers for details.

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[Source: American national biography (New York : Oxford University Press, 1999)American national biography / general editors, John A. Garraty, Mark C. Carnes

James Groppi

American priest (1930–1985)

James Edmund Groppi (November 16, 1930 – November 4, 1985) was an erstwhile Catholic priest and noted civil rights activist based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He became well known for leading numerous protests, many times being arrested during them.[1] In 1976, he was excommunicated by the church for marrying.[2] In 1985, he died of brain cancer at the age of 54.

Early years, education, ordination as priest

James Groppi was born in the Bay View neighborhood on the south side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Italian immigrant parents. Giocondo and Giorgina Groppi had twelve children, of which James was the eleventh. In this working-class community, Giocondo joined others from Italy in Milwaukee's grocery business, opening "Groppi's" store in Bay View, where James and his siblings worked.[3] Typical of boys in heavily Catholic south side Milwaukee, James attended a parochial grade school (Immaculate Conception), but went on to the public high school in Bay View, where he was captain of the basketball

Father James Groppi | Wisconsin Historical Society

Classroom Material

Father James Groppi | Wisconsin Historical Society


Note: This is a grade-level appropriate biographical essay about a significant figure from Wisconsin's past.

"All that it takes for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing." — Edmund Burke

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Father James Groppi, 1968

Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Father Groppi helped pass Vel Phillip's Fair housing Law in 1968. View the original source document: WHI 26543

What does it mean to be brave? For Father Groppi, it meant being an ally to members of his church and neighborhood. 

James Groppi was born in Milwaukee on November 16, 1930. His parents emigrated from Italy. James grew up near Milwaukee in Bay View, Wisconsin, where he went to high school. He had eleven brothers and sisters and worked at his parents’ grocery store. He wanted to become a Roman Catholic priest, so after high school he went to seminary school. James paid for seminary by driving buses in Milwaukee. After he graduated, Father Groppi worked at St. Bon

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