William Douglas O'Connor (1832-1889) was an American author, poet, daguerreotypist and editor. He began his career as a painter, but left it behind for literary pursuits. He became associate editor of the Boston Commonwealth, then editor of the Philadelphia Saturday Evening Post. In 1861 he became corresponding clerk of the light-house board in Washington, in 1873 chief clerk and in 1874 librarian of the Treasury Department. In 1878 he became assistant general superintendent of the life-saving service. He was a close friend of Walt Whitman. His works A Story of True Love (1860), The Good Gray A Vindication (1866), The Ghost (1867), The A Christmas Story (1868), Hamlet's Note Book (1886) and Three Tales (1892).