Hackleman grew up on a farm, but by age 17 was teach­ing sing­ing class­es and lead­ing the sing­ing in meet­ings. Later he taught pub­lic school for four years, and stu­died mu­sic at the To­ron­to, Ca­na­da, Con­serv­a­to­ry of Mu­sic un­der Ital­ian com­pos­er Fran­ces­co d’Aur­ia, and with pri­vate teach­ers in New York City. He went on to com­pose, ed­it song books, and lead the mu­sic at state and na­tion­al con­ven­tions of the Christ­ian Church. He served as pre­si­dent of the Na­tion­al As­so­ci­a­tion of Church Mu­si­cians, for five years as se­cre­ta­ry to the In­di­a­na Miss­ion­ary So­ci­e­ty, and al­so ran the Hackle­man Mu­sic Com­pa­ny in In­di­an­a­po­lis, In­di­a­na. Hack­le­man’s works in­clude:

• The Gos­pel Call: Parts 1 and 2, with J. V. Coombs (In­di­an­a­po­lis, In­di­a­na: Hack­le­man Mu­sic Com­pa­ny, 1897)
• Praises to the Prince, with Allen Wilson (In­di­an­a­po­lis, In­di­a­na: Hack­le­man Mu­sic Com­pa­ny, cir­ca 1900)
• Hackleman’s Special An­thems No. 2 (In­di­an­a­po­lis, In­di­a­na: Hack­le­man Mu­sic Com­pa­ny, 1901)
• Gloria in Ex­cel­sis Wor­ship Hymn­al (ed­it­or-in-chief) (In­di­an­a­po­lis, In­di­a­na: Hack­le­man Mu­sic Com­pa­ny, 1905)
• Sing un­to the Lord, with Charles Gabriel (In­di­an­a­po­lis, In­di­a­na: Hack­le­man Mu­sic Com­pa­ny, 1906)
• Favorite So­los: A Com­pil­a­tion of So­los, Du­ets, Tri­os and Quar­tets (Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio: The Stand­ard Pub­lish­ing Com­pa­ny, 1909)
• Brotherhood Hymns (In­di­an­a­po­lis, In­di­a­na: Hack­le­man Mu­sic Com­pa­ny, 1911)
• Glory Songs, with John Herbert (In­di­an­a­po­lis, In­di­a­na: Hack­le­man Mu­sic Com­pa­ny, cir­ca 1911)
• Hymni Ec­cle­siæ, Or, Hymns of the Church, with Ed­win Ex­cell (In­di­an­a­po­lis, In­di­a­na: Hack­le­man Mu­sic Com­pa­ny, 1911)
• Gos­pel Bells with Edward Excell (In­di­an­a­po­lis, In­di­a­na: Hack­le­man Mu­sic Com­pa­ny, cir­ca 1914)
• Wonder Hymns of Faith, with Charles Sco­ville & J. E. Stur­gis (Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio: The Stand­ard Pub­lish­ing Com­pa­ny, cir­ca 1923)
• Hymns of Praise: Num­bers One and Two Com­bined for the Church and Sun­day School, with F. G. Kings­bu­ry (Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: Hope Pub­lish­ing Com­pa­ny, 1926)
• American Church and Church School Hymn­al, Beth­any Edi­tion, with Ed­win Ex­cell & Wall­ace Tuttle (St. Lou­is, Mis­sou­ri: Christ­ian Board of Pub­li­ca­tion, 1927)
• Jewels for Jun­iors (Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio: The Stand­ard Pub­lish­ing Com­pa­ny, un­dat­ed)

Sources

Lyrics

1. Saved by Mother’s Prayer
2. This Way, Papa
3. What Will You Do with Jesus?
4. Who Cares for a Soul?
5. Wondrous Cross, The

Music

1. Drifting Down
2. Nearer Home