Gospel preacher listed in Preachers of Today, Vol. 1, 1952, 192. His parents were Jesse Brents Kuykendall and Minerva Gertrude Whitefield Kuykendall. He received his training at Burritt College, David Lipscomb College, and George Peabody. He taught four years at David Lipscomb College, served as vice-president of Dasher Bible School for one year, and taught at Athens Bible School. He owned and operated Bible School Press.

Just as Abraham "was called the friend of God," Elam Kuykendall was by his faith and godly character a friend of God. Elam Brents Kuykendall was born 10 June 1908 in Cookeville, Tennessee and died 3 April1993 in the Decatur General Hospital at the age of 84 years. He had lived in Athens, Alabama for many years. Both of his grandfathers before him had been gospel preachers: William Y. Kuykendall and James K. Polk Whitefield. Brother Kuykendall himself was named for two gospel preachers: E. A. Elam and T. W. Brents. After his baptism, his first gospel sermon was preached near Campbell's Station in Tennessee on 16 June 1929 on the subject "Rightly Dividing God's Word." He married Mary Goff McElroy in Franklin, Kentucky on 7 February 1932. They lived in Nashville, near Cookeville, and near Murfreesboro, Tennessee during their early married life. After his graduation from David Lipscomb College in June of 1937, the Kuykendalls alternated between living in Nashville and in North Carolina as he worked with churches and continued his education at George Peabody College. Brother Kuykendall began teaching at David Lipscomb College in 1941 and resumed teaching again in June of 1947 at the Dasher Bible School in Valdosta. Georgia. A year later he moved to Athens, Alabama to teach at Athens Bible School and started a printing business as well. Beginning in September of 1962 he taught industrial arts at Florida Christian College (now Florida College) in Temple Terrace, Florida, but a year later moved back to Athens after suffering a heart attack. On 9 January 1984 his wife passed away.