William Cameron Townsend

William Cameron Townsend (July 9, 1896 – April 23, 1982) was an American Christian missionary-linguist and the founder of Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Summer Institute of Linguistics (now SIL International) Both organisations emphasized the translation of the Bible into minority languages, as well as the development of literacy and bilingual education programs. Early life Born in 1896 in Southern California, Townsend graduated from Santa Ana High School and attended Occidental College in Los Angeles. He dropped out of college to work as a Bible salesman for the Los Angeles Bible House for several years. Work in Guatemala