William Wilfred Birdsall was a birthright Quaker, son of Thomas and Mary B. (Thistlethwaite) Birdsall and born in Indiana in 1854. He received a BS from Earlham College in 1873 and went on to teach at the Richmond (IN) High School. He then became president of Boys High School in Wilmington, Delaware. In 1880 he married Viola Isabel McDill. In 1885, he became a teacher at Friends Central School in Philadelphia and soon was promoted to president of that school. In 1898 he was selected to be President of Swarthmore College. His selection was an attempt by the Board of Managers to emphasize the Quakerly qualities of the College after the more rigorous academic goals of his predecessor, Charles De Garmo, who served from 1891-1898.

During Birdsall's administration, the changes at the College included a complete readjustment of the teaching staff, installation of a new heating system, building of a new gym for the male students, and the introduction of a pre-medical course (1900-01). Birdsall's goal was to increase the number of Swarthmore students by offering an increased number of scholarships. While Birdsall succeeded in attracting more attention to the College from the Quaker community, he had critics among alumni and faculty and students who felt that more attention should be placed on the quality of the school rather than its denominational affiliation. His critics were concerned that his experience did not prepare him sufficiently for a college presidency. The Board made the decision to change the focus of the College and to seek a president with stronger academic credentials. After serving the College for only four years, Birdsall resigned from his position in 1902 and became Principal of Girls' High School of Philadelphia. He remained in this position until his death on March 17, 1909. Birdsall's successor was Joseph Swain who had been President of Indiana University and agreed to come to Swarthmore only if he was given more authority as President of the College.