William Ziegler Sr. (September 1, 1843 – May 25, 1905) was an American industrialist who was one of the founders of the Royal Baking Powder Company.

[4] Ziegler is remembered as the public-spirited plaintiff in a tax-payers' suit to prevent a "deal" between the Long Island Water Company and the City of Brooklyn.

A similar taxpayers' suit brought by him compelled the Brooklyn Elevated Railroad to pay nearly $500,000 in taxes to the city.

Another notable suit was brought by him as a minority stockholder of the Lake Street Elevated Railroad of Chicago.

[2] In 1901, Ziegler became interested in polar research and fitted out his first expedition, consisting of the three ships, America, Frithjof and Belgica, which he placed in charge of Evelyn Briggs Baldwin.

[5] The next spring, Mr. Ziegler sent out his private secretary, William S. Champ, in charge of a relief expedition on the ship Frithjof.

The third expedition fitted out by Mr. Ziegler, and which was still in the Arctic regions at the time of his death, was sent out in the summer of 1903 under the command of Anthony Fiala and Captain Edward Coffin of Edgartown, Massachusetts.

[1] In January 1902, Ziegler was indicted for bribery in connection with the baking powder scandal in the Missouri Legislature.

[1] Ziegler at one time owned a sloop yacht named Thistle, which was entered in the race for the Kaiser's Cup.

The following is part of the obituary which appeared in the New York Times: William Ziegler died at his summer home, on Great Island, Darien, Conn., at 6:45 o'clock this morning.

Mr. Ziegler suffered a stroke last Sunday, and on Monday night Dr. Avery, the attending physician, gave up hope.

William Ziegler, who sent, at his own expense, three large expeditions to find and plant the American flag at the North Pole, devoting a larger sum to the cause of Arctic exploration than any other man in the world, began life as a printer's apprentice.