Paul Moyer Limbert

Paul Moyer Limbert (May 27, 1897 – December 24, 1998) was a clergyman, educator and Secretary General of the World Alliance of

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches w ...

s. Born in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, Limbert earned a bachelor's degree at

Franklin and Marshall College Franklin & Marshall College (F&M) is a private liberal arts college in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1787 as Franklin College and later merged with Marshall College in 1853, it is one of the oldest colleges in the United St ...

in 1918 and divinity degree at the

Lancaster Theological Seminary Lancaster Theological Seminary is a seminary of the United Church of Christ in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1825 by members of the German Reformed Church in the United States to provide theological education for prospective clergy a ...

in 1922. An educator of the first order, Limbert lectured and taught at many American universities, eventually becoming president of

Springfield College Springfield College is a private university in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. The institution's mission, called the Humanism, Humanics philosophy, calls for educating students in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service ...

. He served there from 1946 to 1952. Limbert was then selected to serve the highest post in all of the

movement. In 1952, he was named Secretary General of the World Alliance of YMCAs in

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. During his tenure, the YMCA celebrated its centennial in 1955, and Limbert visited many YMCAs in over 60 nations, including

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, and in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

. After his term ended, Limbert traveled, lectured and wrote articles dealing with YMCA history. In 1985, at age 88, he was named as the first inductee into the YMCA Hall of Fame. Limbert was also named as the association's most notable living leader, a "position" he held until his death at the age of 101 in 1998. 1897 births 1998 deaths 20th-century American academics 20th-century American clergy American men centenarians American Christian clergy Presidents of Springfield College Franklin & Marshall College alumni YMCA leaders {{US-Christian-clergy-stub