J. F. (Joseph Franklin) Rutherford

Born in Missouri in 1869, Joseph Franklin Rutherford trained as a lawyer and later served briefly as a judge, which is how he came to be widely known as “Judge” Rutherford. He joined the Bible Student movement associated with Charles Taze Russell and, after Russell’s death, became president of the Watch Tower Society in 1917.

During his long leadership, Rutherford was a forceful organizer and speaker. He expanded the group’s use of public lectures, printed publications, and radio, and he wrote many books and booklets explaining its beliefs. In 1931, under his presidency, the movement adopted the name Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Rutherford remained a controversial and highly visible figure until his death in 1942. Whether readers know him for his sermons, his polemical style, or his role in shaping a growing religious movement, he stands out as a major voice in its early development.