William Lockhart Ball III[1] (born June 10, 1948) is an American former government official and political appointee.

Ball was born in Belton, South Carolina, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1969.

[2] Before joining the Reagan Administration, Ball worked for ten years as a staff member for two former United States Senators: Herman Talmadge of Georgia and John Tower of Texas.

[3] Previously, he served for six years as a naval officer aboard ship and then at the Navy Department in Washington, D.C., before being released from active duty in 1975.

[4] He was aboard the USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) on September 16, 1988, and participated in the promotion and pinning of 9 newly selected Chief Petty Officer's (E-7) and stated that this was the highlight of his Naval career.