Walter Fairleigh Dodd (April 7, 1880 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky – April 14, 1960) was a professor in the political science department at Johns Hopkins University who wrote "one of the most important books on the process of amending state constitutions.

"[1] He graduated from Florida State College in 1898,[2] and received a Bachelors in Science from John B. Stetson University in 1901.

He held a research appointment at Johns Hopkins in 1908–1910, in 1910–1911 was associate in political science, in 1911–1914 assistant professor, and in 1914–1915 associate professor of political science in the University of Illinois.

[2] He served as the second Secretary of the State of Illinois' Legislative Reference Bureau in 1917–1918.

In retirement, in 1946, Walter Dodd was retained to represent Vashti Cromwell McCollum in her landmark case challenging released time sectarian religious classes in the public schools of Champaign Illinois.