William Thrift

William Edward Thrift (28 February 1870 – 23 April 1942) was an Irish academic and politician who served as the 37th Provost of Trinity College Dublin and a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin University constituency from 1921 to 1937.

Thrift was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire in 1870, but grew up in Carlow. He was educated at The High School, Dublin and at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) (BA 1893, MA 1896, Fellow 1896). He served as Erasmus Smith's Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy at Trinity College Dublin from 1901 to 1929. He was awarded DSc in 1936. He was appointed Provost of Trinity College Dublin in 1937, serving until his death 1942.

He was also active in politics. He was elected to the House of Commons of Southern Ireland at the 1921 elections, representing the Dublin University constituency. As an independent Unionist, he did not participate in the Second Dáil. He was re-elected for the same constituency at the 1922 general election and became a member of the 3rd Dáil. He was re-elected at the next five general elections until 1937 when he retired from politics.