William Henry Isely is a member of the Kansas Isely family, being the son of Christian and Elise.

He played a significant role in starting Fairmount College in 1895, of which he was the first Dean. He was also the first editor of the school newspaper, the Sunflower.

Fairmount College is now Wichita State University. Its library has an entire collection of information about him and the rest of his family, including his brother Bliss Isely, who authored several books on Kansas and sister Alice, for whom a room in the library is named. There is also a street on campus called Isely Lane.