The blog Necessity For Ruins has an awesome post about the history of the Baptist Temple. Although The Temple News covered this a few weeks ago NFR takes more historical approach, including the above photo of Dr. Martin Luther King and details on Russell Conwell’s role:

When Conwell arrived from Boston in Philadelphia in 1882, his charge was to lead the congregation of the Grace Baptist Temple at 12th and Berks Sts. With his captivating style of self-help Christianity, Conwell appealed to Philadelphia’s droves of aspiring workers. According to Temple apochrypha he began teaching hungry students in the basement of the Grace Baptist Temple. When the Baptist Temple was constructed in 1891, Conwell moved his congregation–and his students–to the new facility.

NFR even revives the notion that former President Peter Liacouras purposefully left the Baptist Temple in decay.

Link.