Born: February 28, 1868, Orange, Indiana.
Died: October 1927, near St. Elmo, Illinois, in an automobile accident, en route to a church convention.
Buried: Anderson Cemetery, Warren Park, Indiana.
William was the son of Rebecca Marilla Huston Hackleman, and husband of Pearl Damie Conner, daughter of minister A. W. Conner (married 1899).
He grew up on a farm, and by age 17 was teaching singing classes and leading the singing in meetings.
Later he taught public school for four years, and studied music at the Toronto, Canada, Conservatory of Music under Italian composer Francesco d’Auria, and with private teachers in New York City.
He went on to compose, edit song books, and lead the music at state and national conventions of the Christian Church.
He was president of the National Association of Church Musicians, secretary to the Indiana Missionary Society for five years, and ran the Hackleman Music Company in Indianapolis, Indiana.