Walter Thomas Conner (1877-1952)

Walter was a prominent Baptist theologian and educator on the faculty of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) at Fort Worth, Texas from 1910 to 1949.

Walter was born at Rowell, Arkansas on 19th January 1877. Aged 15 his family moved to the West Texas community of Tebo (now Tye).

Education
1896-8 Simmons College (now Hardin-Simmons Uni.)
1908 Baylor University M.A.
1908 Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary degree
1910 Rochester Theological Seminary B.D.
1916 Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) Th.D
1931 SBTS Ph.D.

He was baptized by W.M. Reynolds and received into the fellowship of Harmony Baptist Church (HBC) at Caps, Texas. He was ordained by HBC in 1899 where he was serving as pastor. He served as pastor at a number of other Baptist churches.

Walter’s enduring legacy to Southern Baptist life lies in his 39 year teaching career at SBTS. He joined SBTS in 1910. Systematic theology was his main responsibility he distinguished himself as the preeminent Southern Baptist theologian during the 1930s and 1940s. He was able to communicate with both laymen and scholars. His theological works reflect a biblical rather than a systematic approach.

In the Southern Baptist Convention he often lectured at conferences and assemblies and spoke at state and national conventions.

The Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board used him as a counsellor and advisor in selecting missionary candidates.

He was a member of the Southwestern Society of Biblical Study and Research.

Walter gave the Wilkinson Lectures at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Chicago in 1946.

He wrote 15 books and numerous articles for professional journals and periodicals. Walter’s complete theological system is apparently best expressed in his works - *Revelation and God (1936) and The Gospel of Redemption (1945).

Walter died on 26th May 1952 and was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Fort Worth.

Sources used
Encyclopedia.com
TSHA Texas State Historical association
THE
wikipedia