Lee Rutland Scarborough

Lee Rutland Scarborough (1870–1945) was an American Southern Baptist pastor, evangelist, denominational leader, and professor at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS). He spent the first 16 years of his life on a ranch and became an adept cowboy. He attended later Baylor University, Yale University and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He accepted the invitation of B. H. Carroll in 1908 to occupy the world's first academic chair of evangelism, "The Chair of Fire," at SWBTS, (also known as the L. R. Scarborough Chair of Evangelism) and chaired the seminary's department of evangelism. In February 1915, following the death of B. H. Carroll, he became president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He remained in both positions until 1942, during which time he also served a term as president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas (1929–32) and a term as president of the Southern Baptist Convention (1938–40).