William Banks Bader (September 8, 1931 – March 16, 2016)[1][2] was an American diplomat who served as the assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs from 1999 to 2001.

He served in the United States Navy from 1955 to 1958 on active duty and later transferred to the Reserves before retiring with the rank of captain.

He then studied German history at Princeton University under Gordon A. Craig, earning a Master of Arts in 1960 and a PhD in 1964.

Bader joined the United States Foreign Service in 1965, and was posted to the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs in Washington, D.C.

During this time, he also worked for the United States Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs, chaired by Sen. Stuart Symington (D-MO).