William Ashley (Billy) Sunday (1862-1935) was born in Ames, Iowa Sunday grew up in an army orphanage after the death of his father, a Union soldier. For eight years, beginning in 1883, he was a renowned baseball player for various National League teams. He became a Christian after listening to a street preacher in Chicago and immediately abandoned his baseball career, where he was making $5,000 per year, for a job in the Y.M.C.A. that paid less than $100 a month. After working as a chaplain during World War I he returned home and began holding evangelistic crusades. Known for his physically exuberant and theatrical preaching, he became very popular and attracted thousands to his tent meetings. It is estimated that several hundred thousand people came to Christ during his crusades. His conservative views were very influential among evangelical churches during the early 20th century.
