William Landon Oliphant (23 February 1900 â 7 May 1947) was an American Protestant preacher and polemicist.
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. A year later, Thomas Jefferson High School awarded him a JD degree.
He married Bertha Thorp (15 November 1899âÂÂ16 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.
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. 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. This debate was published four times in book form from 1929 to 2013.