William Frohring was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of William Erhardt Frohring, a railroad engineer, and Martha Louise Bliss.  He graduated from East Technical High School in Cleveland. After graduation, he worked as a motorcycle mechanic at the Luna Park, Cleveland Motordrome. In 1911, he received a two-year scholarship to Ohio State Agricultural College, where he majored in bacteriology and dairy technology. He graduated in 1915.