| William Sterling Cole | |
| Office1: | 1st Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency |
| Term Start1: | December 1, 1957 |
| Term End1: | November 30, 1961 |
| Successor1: | Sigvard Eklund |
| Office2: | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York |
| Term Start2: | January 3, 1935 |
| Term End2: | December 1, 1957 |
| Constituency2: | (1935–45) (1945–53) (1953–57) |
| Preceded2: | Gale H. Stalker |
| Succeeded2: | Howard W. Robison |
| Birth Date: | April 18, 1904 |
| Birth Place: | Painted Post, New York |
| Death Date: | March 15, 1987 (aged 82) |
| Death Place: | Washington, D.C. |
| Alma Mater: | Colgate University Albany Law School |
William Sterling Cole (April 18, 1904 – March 15, 1987) was an American politician, lawyer, and civil servant who served as the first Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency from 1957 to 1961. Before his appointment to the IAEA he was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New York.
W. Sterling Cole was born in Painted Post, New York. He graduated from Colgate University in 1925 and Albany Law School in 1929. Cole practiced law in Bath, New York.
A Republican, Cole was elected to Congress in 1934 and served from January 3, 1935 until his resignation on December 1, 1957. Cole voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1957.[1] He resigned to become the first Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency and remained at that post until 1961.
After leaving the IAEA Cole resided in Arlington, Virginia and practiced law in Washington, D.C. He died in Washington on March 15, 1987.[2]