Abstract
oward Thurman (November 18, 1900—April 10, 1981) was truly a magnificent universal spirit whose vitality and vision touched the lives of countless persons of all ethnic, faith, and culture groups. Spell-binding preacher, theologian, educator, campus pastor, lecturer, and artist, he is considered by many to be a mentor to an entire generation of leaders that would include notables such as Whitney M. Young, Jesse L. Jackson, Vernon E. Jordan, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Small wonder, therefore, that he was selected by Life Magazine as early as 1953 as one of the twelve “Great Preachers” of this century. He is the author of some twenty-three books, including his powerful autobiography, With Head and Heart. In addition, there are innumerable pamphlets, recordings, sermons, speeches that bear his name. Presently there are Howard Thurman listening and reading rooms throughout the United States and in at least seventeen foreign countries.