Official Name | Billy Graham Wheaton Crusade |
Dates | September 27-October 4, 1959. No evening service on October 3 |
Crusade Director | Walter H. Smyth |
Chairman of the Crusade Executive Committee | Rev. Evan Welsh |
Budget | $30,000. The actual costs were about $24,000 and the rest was donated to The Hour of Decision radio program |
Meeting Places | Centennial Field, Centennial Gymnasium, other buildings on campus. For two meetings, when the weather was too severe for planned outdoor evening meetings, people met indoors and the service being held in Centennial Gymnasium was broadcast to them by cable. |
Attendance | 101,000. (Daily Journal estimate; the same source estimated that approximately 60,000 actual individuals attended. the larger number including individuals who attended more than once) Approximately 15,000 attended mid-day chapel services led by BGEA associate evangelists |
Inquirers | There were 2,825 inquirers. 8% were from 5 to 11 years old, 50% were from 12 to 18 years old, 8% were over 50. Two thirds of the inquirers asked about how to be saved, the rest came forward to reaffirm their faith |
Follow-Up | Cards filled out for inquirers were distributed to local churches for follow-up. The BGEA also sent out Bible studies designed for new converts. President Edman taught a Bible class for two months in Blanchard Hall for new converts. |
Choir | 800 volunteers, half from the college and the rest from local churches |
Counselors | 1300 volunteers. Twenty-five percent were Wheaton College students, the rest from local churches. They had attended one or more of the six training classes led by Charles Riggs of the BGEA |
City of Wheaton population in 1959 | Less than 25,000 |
Other Events | Press Conference for Chicago area media on September 26th; |