William G. Nixon (1857-1916) was born in Canton, Ohio, and died in Quincy, Massachusetts. He worked as a banker and married Helen A. Nixon (b. Andrews) in Pierre, South Dakota, in 1881. Nixon was a student of Mary Baker Eddy's, completing the Primary class in February 1889 along with his wife and son, Paul Nixon. He was an Executive Committee member of the National Christian Scientist Association. In 1890, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Church of Christ (Scientist). Nixon became involved with the building of the original edifice of The First Church of Christ, Scientist. He was part of a Board of Trustees who held the title to the lot of land upon which the church edifice was to be built and who was in charge of collecting the funds to do so. He also served as manager of The Christian Science Publishing Society from 1889 to 1892. Eddy did not like how Nixon, who had strayed from Eddy's teachings and defied many of her requests, handled these positions, and when the church was reorganized in 1892, Nixon was not invited to membership. Unlike Helen, who would teach and practice Christian Science until her passing, Nixon eventually moved away from the cause, becoming an active opponent of Eddy. He left his wife and later turned up as a witness against Eddy in an unsuccessful libel lawsuit in 1901 and again in the "Next Friends" lawsuit of 1907. According to Helen, towards the end of his life Nixon renewed his allegiance to Christian Science and Eddy by attending The First Church of Christ, Scientist, as well as a branch church.

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