Mott, John Raleigh

Mott, John Raleigh (1865–1955) religious leader; born in Sullivan County, N.Y. He grew up in Iowa and returned to New York for college, graduating from Cornell in 1888. In 1891 he became foreign secretary for the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) and was the organization's general secretary from 1915–31. He oversaw the Y's welfare programs for Allied servicemen during World War I. An influential ecumenical leader for all his long life, he became honorary president of the World Council of Churches in 1948. He published 15 books, including The Larger Evangelism (1944).