R.G LETOURNEAU:
A MATTHEW 6:33 ADDICT
A DANGEROUS GIVER
A MECHANIC WHO MOVED MOUNTAINS
“R. G. LeTourneau, one of America’s greatest entrepreneurs, made his mark in the business world, but God used him for a greater purpose; planting a desire in his heart to spread the gospel worldwide. He became a friend to my father and was an early supporter of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.” – Franklin Graham (Billy Graham’s son and President, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association)
Robert Gilmore LeTourneau was born on 30th November 1888 in Richford, Vermont, USA who dropped out of school at the age of 14 in 1902 to begin work as an apprentice iron monger. He got saved in1905 during a period in Portland, Oregon where 240 major stores jointly decided to close businesses and pray from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm daily.
A believer, yet not fully committed to God, he had worked as an ironmonger, lead burner, bricklayer, carpenter, gold miner, stump puller, ditch digger, wood chopper, farmer, battery refurbisher, construction worker, tractor repairman, field leveler within 15 years. Fortunately, he discovered his passion for machinery. However, his life didn’t mirror his purpose in God; this led him to re-dedicate his life fully to Christ but thought whole-life dedication to God meant becoming a preacher, evangelist or missionary. He received clarity on his life’s purpose from his Pastor who told him that God needs businessmen as well as preachers and missionaries.
In response, LeTourneau committed to be God’s businessman. He recognized that his call to business was a holy calling—and without a manual or mentor, he had to figure out what this looked like on the job. With his Bible and confidence that God would guide him, he stepped out in faith trusting God for his business decisions.
His life theme was Matthew 6:33 after God spoke to him; ‘My child,’ the Voice said, ‘you have been working hard, but for the wrong things. You have been working for material things when you should have been working for spiritual things.’
He would eventually take his business partnership with God a step further, having experienced what a bad business partnership entailed: he had started a partnership business in 1911 at the age of 23 and by 1915, the business had failed and he was left with a debt of $5,000.
In 1927, he had a failed business with a debt of $100,000 but unlike the first debt where he had to work very hard to pay off his debt, he refused to compromise his Christian values of keeping the Sabbath holy even when the surety company asked him to work on Sundays nor renege on his Mission Pledge of $5,000 because he had made God his business partner.
The surety company’s accountant was perplexed at R.G LeTourneau’s decision to pay his Mission pledge despite his surmounting financial challenges but changed his mind when R.G LeTourneau’s business not only stayed afloat but hit a business breakthrough.
While the entire country was engulfed in the Great Depression with people barely able to survive, R.G LeTourneau focused on the manufacturing of his earth moving inventions and witnessed a complete financial turnaround as follows:
1932 – Net Profit: $52,055.61
1934 – Net Profit: $340,275.49
1938 – Net Profit: $1,412,465.68
In 1935, based on the suggestion of his wife Evelyn, he decided to transition to a 90/10 split of his income: 90 % was for God (his Business Partner) while he kept the remaining 10%. His famous quote was “It’s not how much of my money I give to God, but how much of God’s money I keep for myself.”
He had no formal training in machinery but had an insatiable appetite for learning, enrolling in correspondence courses and apprenticeships. He was a diligent worker who persisted through great trials and difficulties. LeTourneau invented the bulldozer, electric wheel, tree crusher, log picker, power log skidder, airplane tow, the air crane, the two-wheeled tractor called “Tournapull,” the first mobile offshore oil platform, among many other things. He developed low-pressure, heavy-duty rubber tires for heavy equipment. Machines designed and built by LeTourneau represented nearly 70% of the earthmoving equipment and engineering vehicles used by the Allied forces during World War II and was a major factor in winning the war. During the War, LaTourneau produced 10,000 Carryalls, 14,000 bulldozers, 1,600 sheepfoot rollers, 1,200 rooters, and 1,800 Tournapulls. He had nearly 300 patents.
Although his competitors thought him insane, history has proved that his inventive genius was decades ahead of its time.
In 1946, he established LeTourneau Technical Institute based on the philosophy of combining work, education and Christian testimony. By 1961, the institute became a University offering degrees in Engineering, Aeronautical Sciences and Liberal arts, along with a strong Christian influence including bi-weekly compulsory chapel attendance for students.
He was called home at the good old age of 80 on 1st June 1969 and has the following inscription on his grave:
“SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS; AND ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU. MATHEW 6:33
MOVER OF MEN AND MOUNTAINS”
Today, R. G. LeTourneau’s legacy lives on through LeTourneau University, the premier Christian Polytechnic University in the world, established by a Christian businessman, offering 140 programs including Aviation, Biblical studies, Business, Criminal Justice, Education, Engineering, Health Science, Kinesiology, Liberal Arts, Nursing, Psychology and Science. It also has a good ranking score: Number 14 in Best Value Schools; Number 14 in Best Colleges for Veterans and Number 25 in Regional Universities West.
Sources: LeTourneau University Page, Giants for God online, Mover of Men and Mountains by R.G LeTourneau, US News online.
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