Cyrus Ingersoll Scofield
1843-1921
American pastor and Bible teacher. Cyrus Ingersoll Scofield
was born near Clinton, Michigan, but his family soon moved to
Tennessee, where he received his early education. While pre-
paring to enter the University of Virginia, the Civil War
broke out, and Cyrus joined the Confederate Army as a boy of
17. He was cited for bravery in the Battle of Antietam on
September 17, 1862, and was awarded the Confederate Cross of
Honor.
        When the war was over, he studied law in St. Louis,
after which time he moved to Kansas, where he was admitted to
the bar in 1869. He served in the Kansas State Legislature,
and at the age of 29 was appointed United States District At-
torney for Kansas. In 1874 he returned to St. Louis and
reentered law practice. During this time he began to drink
heavily. However, this passion for drink was completely re-
moved when he was led to a personal knowledge of the Lord Je-
sus Christ through the efforts of Thomas S. McPheeters, a
Y.M.C.A. worker.
        Scofield immediately became active in Christian work.
During this time, he met D.L. Moody, and a friendship was
formed which lasted their entire lives. Scofield was ordained
in Dallas, Texas, in October, 1883, and began his ministry as
a pastor of the First Congregational Church there. He pub-
lished the Scofield Bible Correspondence Course in 1890, and
in 1902 he began his work on the famous Scofield Reference
Bible, which he presented to the public in January, 1909. He
died on Sunday morning, July 24, 1921, at Douglaston, Long
Island.