Willard Monroe Kiplinger (January 8, 1891 – August 6, 1967) [KIP-ling-er] was best known as the founder of Kiplinger, a publishing company located in Washington, D.C.

Kiplinger was born in Bellefontaine, Ohio,to parents Clarence E. and Cora Miller Kiplinger. He grew up on the north side of Columbus, Ohio. As a high school upperclassman he was editor of the school newspaper where one of the illustrators was Dudley Fisher. He attended Ohio State University from 1908 until 1912 and was a member of Sigma Pi Fraternity.

He and Ray Evans recruited Fisher into the fraternity. While at OSU he was editor of the school newspaper, The Lantern. When he graduated he was one of the first two journalism graduates from the school. His first job after graduation in 1913 was with the Ohio State Journal.