Dr. Alva J. McClain was the founding president of Grace Theological Seminary and Grace College and served in that capacity from 1937 until his retirement in 1962, when he was named president emeritus. In addition, he served as professor of Christian theology at Grace Theological Seminary. He previously taught at the Philadelphia School of the Bible, the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Ashland College, and Ashland Theological Seminary. A widely known lecturer and writer, he was a charter member of the Evangelical Theological Society, served on the Scofield Reference Bible Revision Committee, and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.