William Haselden Ellerbe was the 86th Governor of South Carolina from 1897 to 1899. Born in Marion, South Carolina, he was raised in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina and attended Wofford College and Vanderbilt University.

His political career began when he was elected as Comptroller of South Carolina in 1890, serving until 1894. In the 1896 gubernatorial election, he won the Democratic primary and convincingly won in the general election to become the 86th governor of South Carolina. He sought re-election two years later in the 1898 gubernatorial election and was unopposed in his bid. However, he died on June 2, 1899, before he was able to finish his second term as governor and was buried in Marion.