June 11, 2021
A new faculty position to expand scholarship on biblical evangelism
Wheaton College announced today the establishment of an endowed chair of biblical evangelism. The Jean Kvamme Distinguished Chair of Biblical Evangelism will reside in the College’s School of Mission, Ministry, and Leadership (now known as Litfin Divinity School), and will provide an academic bridge between scriptural text and biblical evangelism. It will also help Wheaton graduate students engage more deeply with the gospel message and its contextualized proclamation in the broader world.
“We are honored to recognize Jean Kvamme in this way, and we thank her husband, Floyd Kvamme, and her family for generously providing an enduring extension of Jean’s legacy of studying and sharing scripture—especially the New Testament,” said Wheaton College President Philip Ryken. “She led a life dedicated to sharing the love of Christ in word and deed, and this endowed chair will serve as a perpetual, inspiring reminder of Jean’s commitment.”
Chair endowment funds will provide for an eminent scholar of special distinction in the field of biblical evangelism and provide support for study abroad and immersion experiences at key sites, libraries, and other germane institutions.
Jean Kvamme was President/Director of The Jean and E. Floyd Kvamme Foundation, which funds Christian organizations, as well as cultural, educational, and medical institutions. Jean died in 2020, leaving a rich Christian legacy for her family and many charitable organizations.
Jean was born in Sacramento, CA and lived in San Francisco from the time she was eight years old. She and Floyd Kvamme met at a San Francisco church when they were 12 years old and married in June, 1959, two weeks after Floyd graduated from UC-Berkeley. After her youngest son started UC-Berkeley, Jean began a home-based computer service business in the Meeting Planning field. It grew steadily for the ten years she owned it from 1987-1997.
In 1997 Jean and Floyd purchased a ranch in Felton, CA to follow her dream of riding and connecting with horses. In 2015, Jean established and directed Lichen Oaks Adaptive Riding Center (LOARC), providing therapeutic riding for special needs children and adults.
“We thank Floyd Kvamme for this opportunity to provide significant scholarship and instruction in the vital field of biblical evangelism,” said School of Mission, Ministry and Leadership Dean Ed Stetzer. “Jean Kvamme’s joy in the words and call of Christ will continue in this unique faculty position.”