John Clover Monsma (1890-1970) | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

John Clover Monsma was born in the Netherlands in 1890. In 1902, he immigrated to the United States and settled in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He attended Calvin Seminary graduating in 1917. In the same year, he accepted the call from Summit, Illinois to become their minister. He remained at the church until 1919. He resigned from the CRC and became a pastor of PCUSA. He served the congregation of Grandville, NY, (1920-22) and First, Oostburg, WI (1922-28). In 1923, he earned his PhD at Princeton University. He was the editor of The New Reformation: A Magazine for Ministers and Other Church Workers (The Ministers' Monthly) from 1924 to1925

In 1928, Monsma decided to pursue a non-ministerial vocation as a journalist and author. He also was a radio commentator and had a weekly radio program in the Chicago area. His work as an author includes The Evidence of God in an Expanding Universe (1958), Science and Religion (1962), and Behind the Dim Unknown (1966). John Clover Monsma passed away on April 24, 1970 in Grand Rapids. His wife, Katherine and their three children survived him.