William B. Purple (1851-1919) was born in Georgia and died in Chicago, Illinois. In the early 1870s he studied law at the University of Chicago. He later studied Christian Science with one of Mary Baker Eddy's students, Mary F. Purple (b. Foster), and married her in Chicago in 1887. The Purples joined The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 31, 1894 and were also members and officers of First Church of Christ, Scientist, Chicago, Illinois, of which they helped establish. Purple served as secretary of the Students Christian Scientist Association of Chicago, No. 9. The couple were listed together in the directory of The Christian Science Journal as Christian Science practitioners, with Mary also advertising as a teacher, in Chicago from 1895 until her passing in 1898. William continued to advertise and work as a practitioner until he passed away.

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