Former State Baptist Leader Tanner Dies

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The former executive director and treasurer of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma has died. <br/><br/>William Tanner senior died Sunday in Belton, Texas, at age 77. <br/><br/>Convention

Tuesday, June 12th 2007, 1:25 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The former executive director and treasurer of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma has died.

William Tanner senior died Sunday in Belton, Texas, at age 77.

Convention spokeswoman Heidi Wilburn says Tanner had been living in Belton. She didn't provide a cause of death.

Tanner was a Tulsa native and served as head of the Oklahoma Baptist convention from 1986 through 1996.

He was president of what's now the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton from 1968 through '71 and president of Oklahoma Baptist University from 1971 until '76.

He then spent ten years as head of what's now the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board in Atlanta before taking over the Oklahoma convention.

Funeral services will be Thursday in Belton.