Jim Letherer
US civil rights activist
About Jim Letherer
Lived 1933 – 2001 (aged 67). Jim Letherer was an American.
James M. Letherer (December 30, 1933 – December 18, 2001) was an American civil rights activist. He walked on crutches the entire 54 miles of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march for voting rights, and in 1966 walked with Martin Luther King Jr. in James Meredith's Mississippi March Against Fear. Letherer lost his right leg to cancer when he was ten years old. Letherer has received honors by the Selma to Montgomery Interpretive Center Museum in Alabama, which hosts a life-size statue of him.
He received mention and a verse in a book by Pete Seeger:
Letherer was involved with a march to aid cancer research in 1984, and in 1985 he joined the 20-year reunion of the Selma to Montgomery march participants in Selma, Alabama.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Jim Letherer's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Jim Letherer's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Jim Letherer?
US civil rights activist
When was Jim Letherer born?
Jim Letherer was born on 30 December 1933 in Saginaw.
When did Jim Letherer die?
Jim Letherer died on 18 December 2001.
What nationality was Jim Letherer?
Jim Letherer was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jim Letherer. https://biography.guide/jim-letherer/
MLA: "Jim Letherer." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jim-letherer/.
Chicago: "Jim Letherer." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jim-letherer/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:31 UTC