William P. Dent was born in St. Matthews, S.C. and graduated from PC in  1943.  He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, and later served 25 years as a pilot in the South Carolina National Guard.  After the war, he worked for many years as an agent for Farm Bureau Insurance Company.  He was also the co-founder of Prickett and Dent Oil Company.  He died on April 4, 2005.