Albert Lindsey Cardwell was born in Warrior Mine, West Virginia, on August 5, 1924. He married Maxine Richardson, March 1, 1947. The couple had 3 children: Mary Jane, John Albert, and Paul Alan. Cardwell earned his B.A. from Emory and Henry College in Emory, Virginia, in 1952 and his B.D. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1956. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from Mercer University in 1966. He was a pastor of a number of Baptist churches in West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, and Georgia, including First Baptist Church of Macon, Georgia, from 1963-1978. He served as University Counselor at Mercer University for 16 years (beginning 1978), while Maxine worked in Mercer University’s Office of Development for more than 20 years. He had a private marriage and family therapy practice in Macon and was involved in numerous denominational activities and offices, including the Executive Committee of the Georgia Baptist Convention, 1962-1963. He also served with various mental health associations, including as President of the Georgia Association for Mental Health, 1966-1967, and the Board of Directors of the National Association for Mental Health, 1969-1972. Cardwell died on October 7, 2006, in Macon.