William Victor Roth Jr. (July 22, 1921 – December 13, 2003) was an American lawyer and politician from Wilmington, Delaware.

He was a veteran of World War II and a member of the Republican Party.

After being admitted to the California Bar in 1950, he moved permanently to Delaware in 1954, and began his work as an attorney for the Hercules Corporation.

He married Jane Richards in 1965 and they had two children, William III and Katharine.

[4] In addition, Roth served as a member of Delaware's "Little Hoover Commission", which studied state government and made recommendations for modernizing and reforming it.

Critics blamed him for national deficits during the presidency of Ronald Reagan.

[16] On December 2, 1981, Roth was one of four senators to vote against[17] an amendment to President Reagan's MX missiles proposal that would divert the silo system by $334 million as well as earmark further research for other methods that would allow giant missiles to be based.

[18][19] Roth voted in favor of the bill establishing Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday and the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987 (as well to override President Reagan's veto).

[20][21][22] Roth voted in favor of the nominations of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court.

To help himself, he would ease himself into public appearances by bringing along a Saint Bernard dog.