Rutherford was born on November 8, 1869, in Versailles, Morgan County, Missouri. His Baptist parents, James Calvin and Lenora Strickland Rutherford, were farmers. When their teenage son showed an interest in pursuing a career in law, they insisted he pay the wages of a farm laborer as his replacement in addition to paying for his studies. Young Rutherford was able to meet their condition by securing a loan and selling encyclopedias from house to house.
