William Seward Burroughs (January 28, 1857 - September 14, 1898) was an American inventor, born in Rochester, New York.

Initially a bank clerk he invented an adding machine (initially designed to calculate the area of fur skins) and was a founder of the American Arithmometer Company (later Burroughs Corporation, after his death). He was the grandfather of William S. Burroughs the writer.

He died in Citronelle, Alabama and was interred in Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri.