| William Landon Oliphant | |
| Birth Date: | 23 February 1900 |
| Birth Place: | Mounds, Indian Territory, Sapulpa, Oklahoma |
| Death Place: | Searcy, Arkansas |
William Landon Oliphant (23 February 1900 – 7 May 1947) was an American Protestant preacher and polemicist.[1] [2]
William was born into a non-religious family, his parents were named Edgar and Ida. During his studies at High School, William's family changed their place of residence several times: Oklahoma, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oaks. While in New Mexico, William found a copy of the Bible in a shepherd's hut. His family began to study the book, after which they began to lead a religious life. After graduating from High School at Oaks, Olyphant attended Western Oklahoma Christian College. Later William went to the University of Oklahoma, where he did Pre-Law work, eventually graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas, Texas, and was accepted into the State Bar of Texas.[3] A year later, Thomas Jefferson High School awarded him a JD degree.
He married Bertha Thorp (15 November 1899–16 November 1996) on 4 October 1817. They had two daughters: Eleana Mae Oliphant, and Landa Lois McCool. Oliphant was a Minister, Oak Cliff Church of Christ, Dallas, Texas.[4]
Oliphant is known for his debates on the topic of religion. When he was about 15 years old, he conducted his first debate with a Jehovah's Witness. In January 1935 in Dallas, Oliphant held a debate with John Richard Rice, a Baptist evangelist and pastor.[5] Most notably, he debated Charles Lee Smith, President of the American Association for the Advancement of Atheism of New York City, on August 15 and 16, 1929.[6] This debate was published four times in book form from 1929 to 2013.