William Rush Merriam (July 26, 1849 – February 18, 1931) was an American politician. The son of Minnesota House Speaker John L. Merriam, he served in the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1883 and 1887 and was the Speaker of the House in 1887. He served as the 11th Governor of Minnesota from January 9, 1889 to January 4, 1893. He was a Republican.By 1888 a split in the state Republican Party was reflected in an unorthodox selection of a gubernatorial candidate.