Flip Benham - Norma McCorvey

Norma McCorvey

In 1994, he confronted Norma McCorvey, best known as "Jane Roe" in the landmark Supreme Court abortion case "Roe v. Wade", at a book-signing. He shouted at her that she was "responsible for the deaths of over 33 million children," and six months later he opened Operation Rescue's national headquarters next to A Choice for Women, the reproductive health care clinic where McCorvey was working at the time. McCorvey initially resisted any contact, but eventually started to talk to Benham during her smoking breaks. During one friendly banter, McCorvey goaded Benham, "What you need is to go to a good Beach Boys concert." Benham answered, "Miss Norma, I haven't been to a Beach Boys concert since 1976."

McCorvey later reported that this seemingly innocuous response shook her to the core and that, quite suddenly, Benham became human to her. She later accepted an invitation to visit their church and within a year, McCorvey converted from being pro-choice to being pro-life, which she has remained.

On August 8, 1995, Benham baptized McCorvey in a Dallas backyard swimming pool. The baptism was filmed for national television. A few years later, McCorvey converted to Catholicism.