William Virgil Dorsey was born in Bushnell (Swain County), North Carolina, on July 26, 1890. Dorsey was an agent for the Southern Railway in Sylva (Jackson County) who served as an officer in the North Carolina National Guard through both world wars. Later in life, Dorsey resided in Newton (Catawba County). He died in Charlotte (Mecklenburg County) on December 12, 1959.