William Salter (November 17, 1821 – August 15, 1910) was an American congregational minister, public orator, social activist and historian.

They were the single most distinguished Protestant group of their time, and Salter, through the years, emerged superior to them all, according to biographer Philip Jordan.

According to Jordan, "Salter played a dominant role in transforming the slovenly community, where filth filled the alleys, pigs wallowed in streets and cows grazed on the public square, into a prosperous and cultivated 20th-century Burlington."

Prior to the Civil War, Salter not only allied himself with anti-slavery societies, but also operated an Underground Railroad station to aid slaves fleeing to freedom.

Social Gospel theologian George Herron served briefly with Salter as associate minister in 1892 and 1893, before taking a position as professor of Applied Christianity at Grinnell College.