Dwight Lyman Moody

Born in Northfield, Massachusetts, in 1837, Dwight Lyman Moody grew up in a large family after his father died when he was young. As a teenager he moved to Boston to work, and after his religious conversion he became deeply involved in evangelical work.

Moody later settled in Chicago, where he began mission and Sunday school efforts that drew large crowds. He went on to become an influential revival preacher in the United States and Britain, known for plainspoken sermons and for working closely with gospel singer Ira D. Sankey.

He also founded institutions that carried his influence far beyond his lifetime, including Moody Church in Chicago, schools in Northfield, Massachusetts, and the Moody Bible Institute. He died in 1899 in Northfield, but his name remained closely tied to evangelical preaching, publishing, and education.