William Oscar Perkins (1831–1902) was an American composer, choir director, and music educator. He was a leading figure in 19th-century American church and choral music.
Born in Stockbridge, Vermont, in 1831, Perkins came from a musical family. He received his education in Boston, London, and Milan, and later settled in Boston as a music educator. In 1879, Hamilton College awarded him an honorary Doctor of Music (D.Mus.) degree. He died in Boston in 1902.
Perkins was extremely prolific. He authored textbooks, more than a dozen books on music, and published dozens of song collections and hymnals.
Among his best-known contributions to sacred music and hymns are:
Did You Think to Pray? (a well-known hymn that was also included in the hymnal of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
The Chorister (a 400-page music and choir book published in 1870)
The Shining River (written in 1875 in collaboration with his brother Henry Southwick Perkins)
