William J. (William John) Hart

William J. Hart, also listed as William John Hart, was a Methodist clergyman and religious writer best known for books about hymns, including Hymn Stories of the Twentieth Century, Unfamiliar Stories of Familiar Hymns, and Hymns in Human Experience.

The available sources describe him as a retired member of the Northern New York Conference of The Methodist Church and a member of the Hymn Society of America. In the foreword to Hymn Stories of the Twentieth Century, Bishop W. Earl Ledden praises Hart's long ministry and his devotion to spreading the gospel through the wider use of Christian hymns.

The birth and death years provided for this edition are 1866–1943. I could confirm his authorship and church connection from digitized book sources, but I did not find a clearly verified portrait image on a reliable page during this search.