William Seward Burroughs (January 28, 1857 - September 14, 1898) was an American inventor, born in Rochester, New York.

Initially a bank clerk he invented an adding machine (initially designed to calculate the area of fur skins) and was a founder of the American Arithmometer Company (later Burroughs Corporation, after his death). He was the grandfather of William S. Burroughs the writer.

He died in Citronelle, Alabama.