Dr. Peter Marshall
Scottish-American preacher and was appointed as Chaplain of the United States Senate

Peter Marshall (May 27, 1902 – January 26, 1949) was a Scottish-American preacher, pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., and was appointed as Chaplain of the United States Senate.

He is remembered popularly from the success of A Man Called Peter (1951), a biography written by his widow, Catherine Marshall, and the book's 1955 film adaptation, which was nominated for an Academy Award for its cinematography.

Born in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, a poverty-stricken coal-mining community, where he was reared by his mother and stepfather. From 1916-1921 he studied electrical engineering at Coatbridge Technical School. He enrolled in evening classes to study for the ministry, while working in the mines by day, but his progress was slow. In 1927, a cousin offered to pay Peter's way to the U.S., where he could receive proper ministerial training. He graduated from Columbia Theological Seminary in 1931.

He was called as the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, a small, rural church in Covington, Georgia. After a brief pastorate, Marshall accepted a call to Atlanta's Westminster Presbyterian Church in 1933.

In 1937, Marshall became pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. In 1946 he was appointed as US Senate Chaplain, serving from January 4, 1947, until his sudden death of a heart attack just over two years later, at age 46.

Peter Marshall Speaks: Two Sermons
Trial By Fire and Trumpet Of The Morn

A Man Called Peter
Documentary • 1955 • 1 hr 59 min

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Richard Todd delivers a thoroughly winning performance as Peter Marshall, the Scottish-born minister who became Chaplain of the U.S. Senate. While still a boy, Peter wants only to go to sea. But as a young man he experiences a profound awakening which leaves him with the unwavering conviction that he has been called upon to do the Lord's work. He completes his religious training in the United States, where he presides over several congregations. A compelling speaker who believes religion should be fun, Marshall inspires young people to renew their interest in the church, and his ministries prosper...

Were You There by Dr. Peter Marshall

Trial by Fire - by Dr. Peter Marshall