News Release

As part of a new initiative called “Business Through the Eyes of Faith,” LeTourneau University will host national manufacturing expert and author John D. Beckett at a free public forum on the application of biblical principles in the workplace. The free event will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 13, in Lecture Hall 120 in the LETU Education Building on the Longview campus, 2100 S. Mobberly Ave. 

 

The public is also invited to purchase tickets to hear Beckett speak at a noon luncheon that day as he speaks about manufacturing in America. Tickets for the luncheon are $15 per person and must be reserved by calling Stacie Francis at (903) 233-3610 by April 9. The catered luncheon will be held at the Memorial Student Center, Third Floor.

 

Beckett is the chairman of R.W. Beckett Corporation and speaks nationally on the future of manufacturing in the United States. A native of Ohio, Beckett earned his bachelor’s degree in economics and mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1960. Following three years in the aerospace industry, Beckett joined the family business his father, Reginald W. Beckett, founded in 1937. Two years later, John Beckett assumed the role of president after his father died of a sudden heart attack.  

 

Through tumultuous years including market swings due to political decisions such as the Arab oil embargo of the 1970s and the OPEC-induced oil shock of the 1980s, Beckett persevered and grew, adapting with changes in the marketplace and a firm confidence that “ God was bigger than the Middle East crisis.”

 

What started as a family business in the basement of a small home in Elyria, Ohio, is today America’s premier manufacturer of oil and gas burners for residential and commercial markets. Beckett guided the business to worldwide leadership in its industry with sales of nearly $100 million.

 

Beckett has written two books about business. “Loving Monday: Succeeding in Business Without Selling Your Soul” was published in 1998 and has been translated into 16 languages. “Mastering Monday: A Practical Guide to Integrating Faith and Work” was published in 2006.   Published by InterVarsity Press, both books are available as audiobooks through Amazon.com. 

 

Beckett helped found and continues to serve as board chairman of a national prayer organization known as Intercessors for America. He also is a founding board member of The King’s College in New York City. He serves on the board of Campus Crusade for Christ International. The Christian Broadcasting Network named him “Christian Businessman of the Year in 1999, and he was named “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Ernst & Young in 2003.