William L. O'Daniel (December 4, 1923 – November 15, 2017) was an American farmer and politician. O'Daniel was born in Union County, Kentucky on December 4, 1923. O'Daniel attended high school in Albion, Illinois. During World War II, he was a paratrooper in the United States Army and saw service in the Philippines. For his service, he was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star and the Presidential Unit Citation. He later became a conservation contractor and went into full time farming in 1963. He served as Director of Wayne County Soil and Conservation District for ten years. He was a commissioner of the Wabash Valley Interstate Commission and of the Skillet Fork Drainage District respectively. O'Daniel lived in Mount Vernon, Illinois, with his wife and family.