William Starr

William Starr (March 3, 1821 – April 18, 1879) was an American educator, abolitionist politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He served two terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing western Fond du Lac County, and was president of the board of regents of the Wisconsin State Normal Schools for the last decade of his life.

About William Starr was born in Middletown, Connecticut, on March 3, 1821. His father died before he was born and at age 8 he went to live in Lewis County, New York, with his mother's new husband. He worked on his stepfather's claim, clearing land and establishing a farm. He was mostly self-educated until age 14, when he attended an academy at Watertown, New York, for the next several winters. Ceresco had recently been founded as a Fourierist commune. Starr briefly operated a school, but soon switched to a mercantile business.

He was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1862 and 1863, representing Fond du Lac County's 1st Assembly district, which then comprised the northwest corner of the county. After his second term in office, in 1864, he was appointed to the Board of Regents of the Wisconsin State Normal Schools.

Personal life and family William Starr married Annie Clark ( Strong), who had previously married and divorced Temple Clark. They had one child together, William James Starr.

The artist Ruth Starr Rose was his granddaughter.