Born: January 10, 1867, Orange, New Jersey.
Died: June 19, 1954, New York City.
Buried: Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York.
William was the son of George Merrill and Emily Dodge Abbot.
He graduated from Rutgers College, New Brunswick, New Jersey (BA 1887, MA 1890), and Union Theological Seminary, New York City (BD 1890).
He pastored at Presbyterian churches in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Chicago, Illinois; and at the Brick Presbyterian Church in New York City (1911–38).