The school was named for William T. Dwyer, former vice president of Pratt & Whitney's Government Products Division and a community leader in Palm Beach County.

Since its founding in 1991, William T. Dwyer High School competes for state championships in several of their varsity sports including football, basketball, baseball, cross country, track, and lacrosse.

William T. Dwyer High School has had some of the most dominant sports programs in the country.

The football and basketball programs have won numerous state championships, is consistently ranked with the top programs in the country, and have produced several notable athletes who have gone into professional careers.

The 2009 football program was quoted by the Palm Beach Post as being "the greatest concentration of talent in Palm Beach County history," finishing top 5 in the country across all divisions.