William Phillips Hall

William Phillips Hall (February 1, 1864 – August 15, 1937) was a lay evangelist, railroad transportation executive, and electrical engineer. He founded the Hall Signal Company, headquartered in New York City, and invented signal mechanisms to improve railroad safety. He was involved with many other companies worldwide related to the railroad industry, and participated in various new reform and religious movements.

Early life Hall was born in Stamford, Connecticut, on February 1, 1864. He went to the local public school and, after graduating from high school, was supplemented by a college preparation course, although he never entered college. In his youth he learned the trade of electrical machinist.

Midlife and business career

Hall followed in his father's footsteps, invented railroad signal mechanisms, and started the Hall Signal Company in 1889. including the New York Real Estate Security Company, the Long Island Assembly, and the Continental Hall Signal Company of Brussels, Belgium. He was also a member of the American Railway Signal Association, the American Railway Appliance Association, the New York Board of Trade and Transportation, and the Board of Trade of Greenwich, Connecticut.

Religious career

Hall's father and maternal grandfather were both preachers. The first branch of this new religious organization was unofficially developed in March and officially formed at Stamford on April 12. The name was sometimes shortened to Army of the Cross. The goal was to reach 50% of the people that were not associated with any other church. There was talk of the movement joining forces with Ballington Booth, but this never came to fruition. The leaders bore military titles like captain, general, colonel, and lieutenant. The scheme of organization included league companies under the direction of a president captain and vice president lieutenant placed in every evangelical church. These companies were structured into regiments and brigades, commanded by president colonels and generals. Every regiment was expected to train and equip a brass band from its own individual membership. People from any denomination of any church were welcomed. Hall's organization proposed to work with all beliefs and intended not to antagonize any sect, church, or belief. Each member of the new organization was expected to wear a pin or button in the shape of the Maltese style cross. Hall's army was nonsectarian, and all people were invited to join the organization; however, those that did not belong to a church had to attach themselves to some religious organization within two months to become a soldier of the Grand Army of the Cross.

Hall was very involved with local communities, founding the Twentieth Century Gospel Campaign in 1900 and becoming chairman of its national central committee. By 1911, he was a trustee of the Rollins College of Winter Park, Florida; trustee of the United Society Christian Endeavor, president of the American Bible Society, and manager of the Methodist Episcopal Hospital of Brooklyn.

Personal life

Hall was six feet tall with an athlete build. He married Charlotte Sophia Hollister, daughter of Elisha S. and Adeline E. Hollister of Cornwall Bridge, Connecticut on October 4, 1887. He was a Republican.

Hall was influenced by Dwight Moody, a close friend, to become an evangelist. He was known by the Hartford Courant newspaper and The Bangor Daily News as the "business millionaire evangelist". He was considered the richest evangelist in the world at the last part of the 19th century.

After retirement, Hall primarily wrote and published his own Biblical stories and religious materials.