William P. Ames was born in Grant, Montana, in 1879 and at the age of twenty-six completed his theological studies at Bangor Theological Seminary, Bangor, Maine in 1905. On June 23, 1909, William Ames graduated from Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, and abegan his ministerial career as a Congregational pastor.

Prior to settling in Lawrence, Kansas in 1932, Ames held several pastorates, including assignments at Hamilton, Missouri, Beverly, Kansas, Grand Marais, Minnesota, as well as many others. From 1932 to 1952, William Ames was employed by the State Geological Survey and the University of Kansas.

Upon retirement, Ames remained in Lawrence, Kansas, and served as Douglas County Assessor for nearly a decade. In 1962, he was appointed as a minister of visitation to the Plymouth Congregational Church, Lawrence, Kansas.

In addition to his ministerial duties, Ames was well-known locally as a writer of both prose and poetry and was active in the Lawrence Writers Workshop. William Ames died on July 2, 1964. An obituary notice in the Lawrence Journal-World indicates William Ames was born in Marshfield, Minnesota and was a graduate of Yale University.