The Gideons are a world-wide group of Christian business and professional business men and the wives auxiliary.  They were founded in 1899 by a group of traveling salesmen in Wisconsin.  The original objective was to place a Bible in every hotel in America.

 In 1908, they presented a program for the Ministerial Association in Louisville, KY.  Reverend E. R. Burkhardt of the First Presbyterian Church of Louisville said they would be a partner to "put a Bible in every room of every hotel".  Since then, the scope has widened to include free Bibles to high school students, service men, firemen, policemen, nursing homes, and hospitals.  Currently, the Gideons distribute Bibles at the rate of 58 million Bibles per year in 179 countries and 80 languages.  The Gideons pay all administrative expenses of the organization and all contributions go to the purchase of Bibles.

For more information, go to The Gideons' website.