William Whittingham Lyman Sr. (born July 28, 1850, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – 1921) was the son of Theodore Benedict Lyman. For ten years, until he was twenty, he traveled around Europe with his family. He built the Lyman winery, now known as the El Molino winery. At one point Lyman owned the property of what is now the Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park. He helped found Grace Episcopal Church of St. Helena, California. Lyman was a lieutenant colonel in the state militia, as well as a member of Governor Washington Bartlett's staff and aide-de-camp. He was married in Sacramento, in 1880, to Mrs. Sarah A. Nowland. They had two sons: Theodore Benedict, Jr. and William Whittingham Lyman Jr.

He resided at his birthplace until 1860, when he, with his parents, went to Europe and remained there for ten years. During this time, he was educated at the School of Mines, at Freiberg, Saxony, and at the University of Berlin. In December 1870, he returned to America, and in 1871, he came to California, where he engaged in wine-making, general farming, milling etc. Mr. Lyman was the Secretary of the Napa Valley Wine Company, one of the most extensive companies engaged in the wine business in the State.

He attended schools throughout Germany and England, including the College of St. Peter at Radley, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, and the University of Berlin.

• "W. W. Lyman". Napa County Biographies, as held on CAGenweb.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2005. Retrieved April 13, 2005.
• "The Wine Country Club". The Wine Country Club - Napa Valley Winery Histories by John Olney. Retrieved April 13, 2005.