William Pepper Jr. (August 21, 1843 – July 28, 1898), was an American physician, medical educator, and the eleventh Provost of the University of Pennsylvania from 1881 to 1894.

As provost, he oversaw a major expansion of the University including the construction of 13 campus buildings, the addition of the Wharton School of Business, and eleven new departments.

[3] He oversaw the construction of thirteen new buildings on campus and the creation of twelve new departments including: He was an advocate for the sponsorship of original scientific research at the University of Pennsylvania.

[12] For his services as medical director of the United States Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia in 1876, he was made Knight Commander of Saint Olaf by King Oscar II of Sweden.

[16] In 1907, Edward Anthony Spitzka published a paper of his analysis of six brains at the American Anthropometric Society, including Pepper's.

[18] A bronze statue of Pepper by Karl Bitter stands on the south side of College Hall at the University of Pennsylvania.

In addition, a marble bust - also by Bitter - rests on a wooden base in the Edwin A. Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music at the Free Library of Philadelphia.