William Howard Doane was a prolic composer providing the melody for over two thousand hymns. He wrote with many of the leading hymn writers of his day including Fanny Crosby, Eliza Edmunds Hewitt, and Edgar Stites to name a few of his co-writers.
While a gifted musician, he made his living as president of the J.A. Fay woodworking machinery company. By all accounts Doane was an extremely successful and wealthy businessman. However his enduring legacy has been his love for the Lord and hymn writing.
“No One Knows but Jesus” is one of the few songs he wrote both the lyrics and melody for. The hymn was first published in 1873.