William Michael Foran (February 4, 1871 – November 30, 1945) was an ice hockey executive, Stanley Cup trustee and government official.

In 1915 he was elected vice-president of the Civil Service Assembly of the United States and Canada, and in the following year became its president.

The Assembly during those years served as a medium for the spread of ideas of civil service reform and scientific management.

In 1907, while acting trustee for P. D. Ross and John Sweetland, Mr. Foran became involved in the challenge series between the Montreal Wanderers and the Kenora Thistles.

The team played the Victoria Aristocrats, champions of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) in a best-of-five series.

This led to an annual finals series between each league's champions to decide the Stanley Cup.

This changed the initial conditions that Lord Stanley himself put down, stating that the Cup was for the Canadian championship.