Born in Toronto, Canada, Harry Ironsides moved to Los Angeles when he was ten years of age, and here he received, at firsthand, the tenets of evangelism from the various itinerant preachers who resided at intervals at his widowed mother's boardinghouse. By the time he was twelve he had read the Bible ten times and taught a Sunday School class. When he finished grammar school Harry joined the Salvation Army and had reached the ranks of Captain when he decided to leave the organization and become a traveling preacher with the Plymouth Brethren. Realizing his lack of opportunity because of his need for formal education, he began the study of Greek and Chinese, and read extensively, as many as 2 or 3 books daily on doctrinal works. Harry wrote his first book in 1900 and many thereafter. In 1930 he was called as pastor of the Moody memorial Church in Chicago where he grew in popularity with his church congregation and his radio audience. Harry Ironsides was given two honorary degrees ... the D. Litt. in 1930 from Wheaton College and the D.D. in 1942 from Bob Jones College in Florida. He was also listed in Who's Who of American Religious Leaders in 1944.