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William Aberhart was born on a farm near Kippen, Ontario . He attended a local public school and several colleges, receiving teacher's training. Some time later, in 1911, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.

Aberhart taught public school in several areas in Southern Ontario, including Wingham and Brantford, and was appointed Principal of Brantford Central Public School in 1905. During his time in Brantford, he volunteered much time to his devout Baptist faith, preaching at local churches and holding regular Bible studies.

In 1902Events January-April January 28 The Carnegie Institution is founded in Washington, DC with a $10 million gift from Andrew Carnegie. France, Loisy's L'evangile et l'Eglise which inaugurates the Modernist Crisis February 11 Police beat up universal suffrage, Aberhart married Jessie Flatt, with whom he had two daughters, Ola Janet and Khona Louise.

In 1918Events January January 8 President Woodrow Wilson announces his " Fourteen Points" for the aftermath of World War I. February February 3 The Twin Peaks Tunnel begins service in San Francisco as the longest streetcar tunnel in the world (11,920 feet long)., Aberhart began a Bible study group in Calgary, AlbertaCity of Calgary, Alberta, Canada Motto: Heart of the new west Area: 712. Population Total (2001) Cdn. Rank: Density 878,866 Ranked 3rd 1252. 3/km² Time zone Mountain: UTC-7 Latitude Longitude 51°6' N114°1' W MPs Diane Ablonczy, Rob Anders, Art Hanger, Ste which grew steadily year-by-year; by 1923Centuries: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s Years: 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 Events January 1 Grouping of all UK railway companies into four larg, the Palace Theatre had to be rented to accommodate those interested in Aberhart's message. In 1927Centuries: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s Years: 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 See also 1927 in aviation 1927 in film 1927 in literature 1927 in mu, Aberhart was appointed Dean of the newly-founded Calgary Prophetic Bible Institute . The institute's building served as a centre of worship, radio broadcast, and biblical studies. Aberhart's Sunday broadcasts proved as popular as his Bible studies as they drew regular listeners across the Canadian mid-west, and some listeners in the northern United States.

Aberhart became interested in politics during the Great DepressionThe Great Depression was a global economic slump that began in the United States following Black Thursday, the Wall Street panic of October 1929. On October 24, 1929, share prices on Wall Street collapsed catastrophically, setting off a chain of bankruptc, a time which was especially harsh on Albertan farmers. Particularly, he was drawn to the " social credit" theories of Major C. H. DouglasClifford Hugh) Douglas MIMechE, MIEE, ( January 20, 1879- September 29, 1952) son of Hugh Douglas and Louisa Horfdern, was a Scottish engineer and pioneer of the Social credit concept. He graduated from Cambridge University, with an honour degree in mathe, a Scottish engineer. From 1932 to 1935, Aberhart lobbied for the governing political party, the United Farmers of Alberta, to adopt these theories, whereby the difference in production cost and individuals' purchasing power would be supplemented through government grants. When these efforts failed, Aberhart helped found the Social Credit Party of Alberta, which won the 1935 provincial election by a landslide and remained in power in the province until 1971. Aberhart served as Premier of Alberta, Minister of Education and, starting in 1937, Attorney General during his tenure with the party.

His government was unable to implement much of the party platform since the social credit concept relied on control of the money supply and of the banks, both of which are a federal responsibility under the British North America Act. Lieutenant-Governor John C. Bowen refused to give Royal Assent to three government bills in 1937. Two of the bills would have put the province's banks under the control of the provincial government while a third, the Accurate News and Information Act, would have forced newspapers to print government rebuttals to stories the provincial cabinet objected to. All three bills were later declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

In 1938, relations with the lieutenant governor became so strained that Bowen even threatened to dismiss Aberhart's government, which would have been an extraordinary use of his reserve powers. The Social Credit government remained immensely popular with the Albertan people, however, so the threat was not carried out.

Although Aberhart was unable to gain complete control of Alberta's banks, his government eventually gained a foothold in the province's financial industry by creating the Alberta Treasury Branches in 1938. ATB has become Aberhart's legacy, operating as of 2004 as an orthodox financial institution and crown corporation.

Aberhart died unexpected on May 23, 1943 during a visit to Vancouver, British Columbia. He was succeeded as the Premier of Alberta by his student at the Prophetic Bible Institute and lifelong close disciple, Ernest Manning .

The Aberhart Centre, a long-term medical care centre in Edmonton, Alberta, is named in his honour, as is a high school in Calgary.