Reverend William Makepeace Thayer (1820-1898) was an American author. His works include: Sermon on Moses' Fugitive Slave Bill (1850), Happy New Year (1853), Gem and Casket (1854), Spots in our Feasts of Charity (1854), Trial of the Spirits (1855), Morning Star (1856), Poor Boy and Merchant Prince (1857), Pioneer Boy, and How He Became President (1863), Nelson (1878), Tact, Push and Principle (1880), George Washington: His Boyhood and Manhood (1883), From the Tannery to the White House (1887), From Boyhood to Manhood: Life of Benjamin Franklin (1890) and Turning Points in Successful Careers (1895).