William Seymour Tyler (1810 - 1897) was born in Harford, Pennsylvania, where he grew up. He went to Hamilton College before coming to Amherst College for a year and graduating from Amherst in 1830. Afterwards, he attended Andover Theological Seminary while intermittently teaching at Amherst Academy, 1830-1831, and tutoring at Amherst College, 1832-1834. He pursued his theological course until 1836 when he became professor of Latin and Greek Languages and Literature at Amherst College, 1836-1847, and subsequently of Greek Language and Literature, 1847-1893. Following this, he was professor emeritus until his death in 1897.

Tyler was an ordained preacher and throughout his teaching career delivered many sermons and eulogies. He was also a prolific author. Among his works are A History of Amherst College, Memoirs of Henry Lobdell, Prayer for Colleges, Germania and Agricola of Tacitus, Histories of Tacitus, Plato's Apology and Crito, Demosthenes de Corona, Philippics and Olynthiacs of Demosthenes, Plutarch on the Delay of the Deity, and Theology of Greek Poets.