Born in Charleston, West Virginia, and partially crippled (he wore a leg brace), Reveal left school in his teens to work with his father in a contracting and bricklaying business. After his conversion in 1904 and his ordination as a minister in 1919, he felt led to establish a rescue mission in his hometown of Evansville, Indiana. He was known for his power in prayer to meet the needs of his ministries. A men’s dormitory was named in his honor.