Robert Pierce

Robert Pierce (1914–1978) was an American Baptist minister and relief worker. He is best known as the founder of World Vision International in 1950 and Samaritan's Purse in 1970. Born on October 8, 1914, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, Pierce moved to southern California in the mid-1920s. He attended Pasadena Nazarene College and studied for the ministry. Pierce became involved with the Los Angeles branch of Youth for Christ (YFC) movement and worked as an evangelist across California from 1937 to 1940. He witnessed the wartime destruction in China during the late 1940s, which inspired him to establish humanitarian organizations. His contributions have had a lasting impact on global relief efforts.