Editing Fred Thompson (section)

==Early life==
Thompson was born at Colbert County Hospital—now Helen Keller Memorial Hospital—in [[Sheffield, Alabama]] on August 19, 1942,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Thompson |first=Fred |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0ojHAKey0xYC&dq=mitch+mcconnell+helen+keller+hospital&pg=PA25 |title=Teaching the Pig to Dance: A Memoir of Growing Up and Second Chances |date=May 18, 2010 |publisher=Crown Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-307-46030-1 |language=en}}</ref> the son of Ruth Inez ([[Maiden and married names|née]] Bradley) and Fletcher Session Thompson (born [[Lauderdale County, Alabama]], August 26, 1919, and died in [[Lawrenceburg, Tennessee]], May 27, 1990), who was an automobile salesman. Fred Thompson had English and distant Dutch ancestry.<ref>[http://www.filmreference.com/film/50/Fred-Dalton-Thompson.html Fred Dalton Thompson Biography (1942-)] via filmreference.com.</ref><ref name="thompsonancestry">{{cite web |last=Reitwiesner |first=William Addams |title=Ancestry of Fred Thompson |publisher=self-published, non-authoritative |url=http://www.wargs.com/political/thompsonf.html |access-date=April 8, 2007}}</ref> He attended public school in Lawrenceburg, graduating from Lawrence County High School in 1960<ref>[https://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2007/mar/19/tv-or-oval-office-u-of-m-grad-thompson-faces-decision//print TV or Oval Office? U of M Grad Thompson Faces Decision]</ref> where he played high-school football.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Fred Thompson: A big and joyous life (Opinion) - CNN.com|url = http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/06/opinions/castellanos-fred-thompson/index.html|website = CNN|date = November 6, 2015|access-date = November 9, 2015}}</ref> Thereafter, he worked days in the local post office, and nights at the [[Murray (bicycles)|Murray]] bicycle assembly plant.<ref name="Lawrimore" />

Thompson grew up going to churches in the [[Churches of Christ]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://christianchronicle.org/future-president-fred-thompsons-church-roots-draw-interest/|accessdate=September 9, 2021|date=April 1, 2007|title=Future president? Fred Thompson's church roots draw interest|publisher=The Christian Chronicle}}</ref> He said that his values came from "sitting around the kitchen table" with his parents, and from the Church of Christ. While talking to reporters at an event in [[South Carolina]], Thompson said, "I attend church when I'm in Tennessee. I'm [living] in McLean right now. I don't attend regularly when I'm up there."<ref name="Chipman">Kim Chipman, [https://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20070911/pl_bloomberg/a23dx3a8oufe;_ylt=AhXqM0MFIAyTkl69deZbCuiog9IF "Thompson Says He's No Churchgoer, Won't Tout Religion on Stump"], ''Bloomberg'' (September 11, 2007).</ref> Later in his adulthood, Thompson occasionally attended Vienna Presbyterian Church in [[Vienna, Virginia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ethicsdaily.com/news.php?viewStory=9407|title=Reports Conflict About Fred Thompson's Church Membership, Attendance|author=Brian Kaylor|access-date=December 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413074153/http://www.ethicsdaily.com/news.php?viewStory=9407|archive-date=April 13, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> He did not speak much about [[religion]] during his 2008 presidential campaign. He said, "Me getting up and talking about what a wonderful person I am and that sort of thing, I'm not comfortable with that, and I don't think it does me any good."<ref name="Chipman" />

In September 1959, at the age of 17, Thompson married Sarah Elizabeth Lindsey.<ref name="latimesmaibition">{{cite news | author=Mathews, Joe | url=https://latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-thompson6sep06,0,7136744.story?coll=la-home-center | title=Thompson wed his ambition | newspaper=Los Angeles Times | date=September 6, 2007 | access-date=September 7, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070908083315/http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-thompson6sep06%2C0%2C7136744.story?coll=la-home-center | archive-date=September 8, 2007 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}: "In the summer of 1959&nbsp; ... Lindsey told Thompson she was pregnant. He responded, friends say, by asking her to marry him&nbsp; ... Freddie and Sarah exchanged vows in a Methodist church during the second week of his senior year. Seven months later, in April 1960, 17-year-old Thompson had a son."</ref> Their son, Freddie Dalton "Tony" Thompson Jr.,<ref name="Knoxnews"/> was born in April 1960.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070506/NEWS0206/705060398|title=Fred Thompson chronology|newspaper=The Tennessean|date=May 6, 2007}}</ref> Their son Daniel and daughter Elizabeth were born not long afterwards.<ref name=MC961201/>

Thompson attended Florence State College (now the [[University of North Alabama]]), becoming the first member of his family to attend college.<ref name="about">{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070710083829/http://www.imwithfred.com/About.aspx "About Fred"]}}, via imwithfred.com (Official Site). Retrieved (July 13, 2007).</ref> He later transferred to Memphis State University (now the [[University of Memphis]]), where he earned a [[double degree]] in [[philosophy]] and [[political science]] in 1964.<ref name="Lawrimore" /> He then received a scholarship to study law at the [[Vanderbilt University Law School]], graduating with a [[Juris Doctor]] degree in 1967.<ref name="about" /> While Thompson was attending law school, he and Sarah both worked to pay for his education and support their three children.<ref name=MC961201/> Thompson and his first wife divorced in 1985.<ref name="lobbyigbecamfamily">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/02/us/politics/02thompson.html?ex=1341115200&en=090491f42de11114&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink|title=As Senator Rose, Lobbying Became Family Affair|first=David|last=Kirkpatrick|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 2, 2007}}</ref>