William Harrison Standley (18 December 1872 – 25 October 1963) was an admiral in the United States Navy, who served as Chief of Naval Operations from 1933 to 1937. He also served as the U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1941 until 1943.

Standley was born in Ukiah, California, where his grandfather operated a hotel and his father, Jeremiah "Doc" Standley, was Mendocino County Sheriff.

He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1895. He then served the required two years' sea duty in the cruiser USS Olympia before he received his commission as an ensign in 1897.

During the Spanish–American War, Standley served in the monitor USS Monterey and later in the gunboat USS Alert. After the fighting with Spain had ended, he joined the gunboat USS Yorktown during the Philippine–American War. He received a commendation for bravery during a volunteer reconnaissance mission carried out at Baler, on 11 April 1899. In conjunction with a feint conducted by Lieutenant J. C. Gilmore, Standley, then an ensign, ventured into enemy territory to reconnoiter insurgent positions.

Ordered to the gunboat USS Marietta on 29 May 1901, Standley later became Officer in Charge, Branch Hydrographic Office, San Francisco, California, in October of the same year. Assigned to the training ship USS Pensacola in June 1902, he later served as engineer in the ship USS Adams and as aide to the Commandant of the Naval Station at Tutuila, Samoa. Designated as the captain of the yard there in 1905, Standley discharged his duties as officer in charge of the native guard and chief customs officer until detached with orders to the United States in October 1906.

Reporting to the receiving ship USS Independence in January 1907, Standley served as executive officer of the cruiser USS Albany from February 1909 to August 1910. From January 1910, he also discharged duties as Albany's navigator as well. Standley then reported to the armored cruiser USS Pennsylvania on 3 November 1910 and was navigator of that ship until becoming aide to the Commandant of the Mare Island Navy Yard at Vallejo, California. After three years in that post, Standley became executive officer of the battleship USS New Jersey and later took command of the gunboat Yorktown on 15 May 1915.

Returning to the Naval Academy on 14 October 1916, as Assistant to the Superintendent in charge of Building and Grounds, Standley later served for 11 months as Commandant of Midshipmen. Under his direction, the new seamanship and navigation buildings were constructed and over $4,000,000 spent in enlarging Bancroft Hall to accommodate the increased number of midshipmen appointed during the World War I period. For his "highly meritorious" service in those posts at Annapolis, Standley received a special letter of commendation from the Secretary of the Navy.

Detached from the Naval Academy in July 1919, Standley soon thereafter assumed command of the pre-dreadnought battleship USS Virginia and, a year later, received orders to attend the Naval War College. After completing his studies at Newport, Standley returned to sea, serving as Assistant Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief, Battle Fleet, from 5 July 1921 to 30 June 1923, before he reported to Washington for duty heading the War Plans Division in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO). Completing the latter tour on 1 February 1926, Standley then commanded USS California from 15 February 1926 to 11 October 1927.