William Wister McKean (19 September 1800 – 22 April 1865) was an admiral in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.

He was noted for his service in the Union blockade that effectively closed Confederate seaports in the Gulf of Mexico.

[1] William Wister McKean was appointed midshipman on 30 November 1814.

He served in the Navy from the War of 1812 to the Civil War, when he rose to the rank of flag officer in command of the Gulf Blockading Squadron in early 1862 and later the East Gulf Blockading Squadron.

This article about a person of the American Civil War is a stub.