William Robert Webb (November 11, 1842December 19, 1926) also known as "Sawney" Webb, was an American educator and politician who founded the Webb School and served briefly as a Democratic United States Senator from Tennessee.
Biography
Webb was born near Mount Tirzah in Person County, North Carolina. He was the grandson of Richard Stanford, an early ten-term United States Representative from North Carolina. After the conclusion of the Civil War he returned to UNC, graduating in 1868 and subsequently teaching at Horner Military School in Oxford, North Carolina until 1870.
Webb married Emma Clary on April 23, 1873, and together they produced eight children: William Robert, Jr. (1874–1960), Alla (1875–1944), John Stanford (1877–1951), Adeline (1879–1968), Daniel Clary (1881–1954), Susan (1882–1980), Emma (1884–1973), and Thompson (1887–1975). His eldest son Will succeeded him as principal at the Webb School, and his youngest son Thompson founded the Webb School of California (now The Webb Schools) in Claremont in 1922. and being buried at Hazel Cemetery.