V. Raymond Edman

rdf:langString V. Raymond Edman

rdf:langString President of Wheaton College

rdf:langString V. Raymond Edman (May 9, 1900 – September 22, 1967) was an American minister and author who served as the fourth President of Wheaton College in Illinois from 1941 to 1965. Victor Raymond Edman was born in Chicago, Illinois as one of six children to Swedish immigrants Anders and Alma Edman. He attended Columbia University, but left to serve in World War I in 1918–1919. After the War, Edman returned to attend the University of Illinois, Nyack College, and then Boston University where he received his B.A. Edman served as a missionary to the Quichua people in Ecuador from 1923 to 1927. While serving as a missionary, Edman married Edith Olson, also an American. Edman was forced to return to the United States after contracting a tropical disease. Upon his return, Edman became the pastor of the Gospel Tabernacle Christian & Missionary Alliance church in Worcester, Massachusetts. In 1933 Edman graduated from Clark University with a M.A. and Ph.D. in International Relations focusing on Latin American studies. Edman was chosen as an associate professor of history at Wheaton College in 1936 and then became the college's fourth president in 1940 serving until 1965. During this time he made various physical and financial improvements to the campus. In 1965 Edman became chancellor at Wheaton. He was also elected as the senior vice president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Edman was a friend and colleague of Billy Graham who was a student during Edman's presidency of Wheaton. Edman spoke in various countries around the world and wrote nineteen books and various articles. On September 22, 1967, while delivering a chapel message entitled, "In the Presence of the King," Edman suffered a fatal heart attack. He was buried at the Wheaton Cemetery, DuPage County, Illinois. The Edman Chapel at Wheaton College is named in his honor.