Archibald McLean was born in Prince Edward Island, Canada, on September 4, 1849, and died on December 15, 1920. He was the fourth president of Bethany College and for thirty-nine years served as chief executive of the Foreign Christian Missionary Society. Every missionary sent to non-Christian lands in the entire history of the Society was commissioned by him. He was also first vice-president of the United Christian Missionary Society, and was associated with the words, "Pray ye the Lord of the Harvest that we send forth laborers into His harvest."