Exhibit 31-1
                                 CERTIFICATIONS

     I, Wilfred N.,Cooper, Jr. certify that:

1.   I have  reviewed  this  quarterly  report on Form 10-Q of WNC  HOUSING  TAX
     CREDIT FUND III, L.P.;

2.   Based on my knowledge,  this  quarterly  report does not contain any untrue
     statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact  necessary to
     make the statements  made, in light of the  circumstances  under which such
     statements  were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by
     this quarterly report;

3.   Based on my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other  financial
     information  included  in this  quarterly  report,  fairly  present  in all
     material respects the financial  condition,  results of operations and cash
     flows of the  registrant  as of, and for,  the  periods  presented  in this
     quarterly report;

4.   The  registrant's  other  certifying  officer  and  I are  responsible  for
     establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
     in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15e and 15d-15e) for the registrant and we have:

(a)  Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure
     controls and  procedures to be designed  under our  supervision,  to ensure
     that  material  information  relating  to  the  registrant,  including  its
     consolidated  subsidiaries,  is made  known to us by  others  within  those
     entities,  particularly during the period in which this quarterly report is
     being prepared;

(b)  Evaluated the  effectiveness  of the registrant's  disclosure  controls and
     procedures  and  presented  in  this  report  our  conclusions   about  the
     effectiveness of the disclosure  controls and procedures,  as of the end of
     the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(c)  Disclosed in this report any change in the  registrant's  internal  control
     over financial  reporting that occurred during the registrant's most recent
     fiscal quarter that has  materially  affected,  or is reasonably  likely to
     materially  affect,  the  registrant's   internal  control  over  financial
     reporting; and

5.   The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on
     our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
     the  registrant's  independent  registered  public  accounting firm and the
     audit  committee  of  the  registrant's  board  of  directors  (or  persons
     performing the equivalent functions):

(a)  All  significant  deficiencies  and  material  weaknesses  in the design or
     operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably
     likely to adversely affect in the registrant's ability to record,  process,
     summarize and report financial information; and

(b)  Any fraud,  whether or not  material,  that  involves  management  or other
     employees who have a significant role in the registrant's  internal control
     over financial reporting.


         Date:  May 15, 2008




         /s/  Wilfred N. Cooper, Jr.
         ---------------------------

         President and Chief Executive Officer of WNC & Associates, Inc