Frank Willard Ballard (December 7, 1929 – June 4, 2010) was an American puppeteer and educator. Serving as Professor of Dramatic Arts at the University of Connecticut from 1956 to 1989, Ballard developed internationally renowned programs for puppetry education. Opened in 1996 and moved to a prominent new location in downtown Storrs in 2014, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry was named in his honor.