Walter Quintin Gresham (March 17, 1832 – May 28, 1895) was an American attorney, jurist, statesman, and politician who served in the cabinets of presidents Chester A. Arthur and Grover Cleveland.

Gresham was the 31st postmaster general of the United States under Arthur from 1883 to 1884 and briefly the 35th U.S. secretary of the treasury from September to October 1884 before resigning to become a federal judge.

He was elected sheriff of Harrison County, and on January 26, 1834, he was fatally stabbed while assisting in the arrest of Levi Sipes, a so-called "desperado".

[3] Gresham attended Indiana University Bloomington for a year beginning in September 1851, then returned to Corydon to read law with judge William A. Porter.

[8] At the end of his term in the House, Gresham organized a military company at Corydon and enlisted as a private; he was elected captain but, following his friends' lobbying of Governor Morton,[8] was quickly commissioned lieutenant colonel of the 38th Indiana Volunteer Infantry on September 18, 1861.

[10] Though Gresham's popularity with his party declined over his opposition to black suffrage, he was nominated for United States House of Representatives in 1866.

[4] Gresham's career as a district judge was marked by the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, during which he organized volunteer companies to preserve order and protect property.

[11] On April 9, 1883, Gresham resigned from the bench to accept an appointment as U.S. postmaster general in president Chester A. Arthur's cabinet.

Gresham was assigned by operation of law to additional and concurrent service on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on June 16, 1891, to a new seat authorized by the Evarts Act.

[6] His 1888 candidacy was supported by several notable agrarian unions, including the Agricultural Wheel, the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, and the Farmers' Alliance.

[12] On the first ballot, Gresham finished second behind John Sherman and carried the states of Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado, and Missouri.

On the eighth ballot, Harrison secured the nomination; he went on to defeat incumbent Democratic president Grover Cleveland in the general election.

As a leading critic of protective tariffs and personal rival to Harrison, Gresham grew increasingly estranged from the Republican Party.

On the advice of his family, who suggested joining Cleveland's administration would appear to be a quid pro quo and risk his personal popularity, Gresham first declined the offer on February 3.

[14] On the advice of friends, especially Henry Watterson, and an urgent telegram from Cleveland to accept the offer, he reversed his position days later.

[15] During the Hawaiian crisis following the 1893 Overthrow of Queen Liliʻuokalani, Gresham and President Grover Cleveland opposed the annexation of Hawaii.