Harvest House Founder Dies at 87, Passion Was to Help the Hurts of People
Hawkins noticed that very few Christian books were being produced to meet the real needs and hurts of "the masses." So at age 52, when most people are considering retirement, Hawkins—a risk-taker willing to step out in faith and in response to God's calling—founded Harvest House Publishers in Irvine, California in 1974, working out of his garage and a small office. Within two years, four Harvest House titles had sold more than 100,000 copies, and then the company landed a number one bestseller. Hawkins moved the company to Eugene, Oregon in 1981 because of the quality of life he envisioned it would offer for his employees and their families. The company has since grown to be among the top ten largest Christian publishing companies in the world, producing high quality and affordable books, Bibles, and products.