He was a native of Pennsylvania and helped found the first Protestant church west of the Rocky Mountains in 1843 in Oregon City.

[1] In 1839, Waller was recruited by Oregon missionary Jason Lee to join his mission in the Willamette Valley.

[1] Waller sailed for Oregon in October 1839 aboard the Lausanne and arrived in Oregon in May 1840 as part of the Methodist Mission's "Great Reinforcement" that included other such as Ira L. Babcock, George Abernethy, Josiah Lamberson Parrish, and Gustavus Hines.

[1] Once in Oregon Waller was assigned to start a new branch of the main mission at the falls on the Willamette River.

[1] During this time he helped to raise funds for the construction of a new brick structure for the school that was completed in 1867 and named University Hall.