Wayne B. Hales was born in Spanish Fork, Utah on December 20, 1893. Hales was the son of Jonathan Hyrum Hales and Martha Ann Brockbank. As a youth Hales worked with his father in the Tintic Mines. He earned a bachelors degree from Brigham Young University (BYU) in 1916. After graduating from BYU, Hales taught at Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho) from 1916–1921. In 1916, Hales married Isabel Ethel Wilson and together they had six childresn. Hales served as president of Snow College from 1921–1924. Over the years he pursued advanced degrees at the University of Chicago and the University of Utah. He focused full-time on studies from 1924–1926 at the California Institute of Technology culminating in a Ph.D.From 1926–1930 Hales taught at Weber College (now Weber State University). He then joined BYU in the physics department. During World War II, Hales was the coordinator for the BYU affiliated civilian pilot training corps' ground school. He was the only faculty member in the department and taught all of the classes. In 1950, Hales served as the chair of BYU's Diamond Jubilee Committee. He was the dean of the General College of BYU from 1958–1964. After his wife, Isabel, passed away in 1963, Hales married Vivian Smart Parkinson in 1965. Later, in the 1960s, he was chairman of BYU's athletic committee. Besides physics, Hales also taught courses at BYU in astronomy, meteorology, mechanics, math and photography. Hales taught the first classes in photography at BYU and was involved in forming the BYU Photo Studio. Hales also served as chairman of BYU's Athletics Council from 1952-1967. He became an emeritus professor in 1972 but continued to show up at BYU every day. Among other projects, he wrote some of the typescripts used as sources for the four volume centennial history of BYU. He also taught in BYU's Continuing Education department until his death on May 3, 1980.