Arthur Stanley Maxwell (January 14, 1896 - November 13, 1970), otherwise known as Uncle Arthur, was a well-known author, editor, and administrator of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Born in London, England, he was schooled at Stanborough College. At age 16, Maxwell worked for a period as a literature evangelist, before becoming a copyreader at Stanborough Press. In 1917, he married a proofreader at the office, Rachel Elizabeth Joyce, with whom he had four sons and two daughters.
Maxwell began writing articles for British Adventist journal The Present Truth. During this period he also had articles published in the Signs of the Times. In 1920, Maxwell became editor of the Present Truth and until 1927 was also manager and treasurer of the Stanborough Press, pastor of a nearby church, official Adventist spokesman for church-state affairs in Britain, and editor of a health journal.
During his lifetime, Maxwell wrote a total of 112 books, and is known affectionately by Adventists around the world as “Uncle Arthur.” His most notable publications include the Bedtime Stories and The Bible Story volume sets. The simple stories are morality tales that illustrate values such as honesty, diligence, obedience, and selflessness. Volume 1 of The Bible Story, which tells the story of Genesis, upholds the historicity of the Bible account, including the creation of life on earth during a six-day creation 6,000 years ago. This book since the 1950s has been found in many doctors’ offices in the United States which includes postcards on how a complete set can be ordered.
In 2006, Maxwell’s book Secret of the Cave was turned into a feature film of the same name by students and faculty at Southern Adventist University. The direct-to-DVD film won the 2006 Crystal Heart Award from the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana, and has received Dove Family-Approved seal.
Maxwell died in died in Mountain View, California in 1970, aged 74.