George Williams
George Williams was an English philanthropist and social reformer best known as the founder of the Young Men’s Christian Association, or YMCA. His life’s work was deeply shaped by his own experience as a young man in industrial England, and by his conviction that Christian faith should be a public force for good. His vision…
Read MoreTruett Cathy
Chick-fil-A, Inc., Founder S. Truett Cathy died Sept. 8, 2014, at age 93. Cathy started the business in 1946, when he and his brother, Ben, opened an Atlanta diner known as The Dwarf Grill (later renamed The Dwarf House®). Through the years, that restaurant prospered and led Cathy to further the success of his business. In…
Read MoreMilton Hershey
Milton S. Hershey was born on September 13, 1857, in Derry Township, Pennsylvania. Milton Hershey was the only surviving child of Veronica “Fanny” and Henry Hershey. Hershey’s mother was a practical influence in his life. She raised Hershey in the discipline of Mennonite faith, which taught him perseverance and success. His father was a dream-chaser…
Read MoreHoratio Spafford
Horatio Spafford’s name may not be widely known, but the hymn he composed in the depths of personal grief has resonated across generations. Born in Troy, New York, in 1828, Spafford built a successful life in Chicago as a lawyer and real estate investor. Yet his true legacy was not in wealth or profession but…
Read MoreJames Finn
James Finn was born in London. The classic lnaguages, including Greek and Hebrew, were part of his early education. By 1846, he and his new wife Elizabeth Ann McCaul journeyed to Jerusalem. He worked as the British Consul until 1863 when they returned to England. Both he and his wife were concerned about the welfare…
Read MoreWilliam Wilberforce
William Wilberforce (1759-1833), abolitionist and philanthropist, was born to a family of merchants. He was first educated at Hull Grammar School under Joseph Milner, an evangelical Anglican minister. His father died when Wilberforce was nine, and his mother sent him to stay near London where he was reared by an evangelical aunt and uncle. Through…
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