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William Henry Williams
Posted 4/10/07
William Henry Williams, 70 GEORGETOWN - William Henry Williams of Georgetown, professor emeritus of history at the University of Delaware, died Saturday, April 7, 2007, of colon cancer. He was 70. …
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William Henry Williams
Posted
William Henry Williams, 70
GEORGETOWN - William Henry Williams of Georgetown, professor emeritus of history at the University of Delaware, died Saturday, April 7, 2007, of colon cancer. He was 70.
Dr. Williams was a popular and respected professor of American History at the University"s Academic Center in Georgetown for 33 years. In 2006 he was honored as the third Delawarean to receive the Governor"s Heritage Award for "preserving and celebrating Delaware"s history and culture."
He was born June 9, 1936, in Port Jervis, N.Y., and spent his youth in Southold, N.Y. He was the oldest of six sons of the late Henry Williams and Esther Crocker Williams.
In 1958 he graduated from Drew University with a bachelor of arts in history and received a master of science in education from Yeshiva University. He began his long teaching career as a high school teacher at J.H.S. 204 in New York City, and also taught at Pawling Central High School in Pawling, N.Y. He then pursued his doctorate at the University of Delaware, receiving his Ph.D. in 1971.
In 1967 he and his family moved to Georgetown, where Dr. Williams taught in what was then known as the University of Delaware"s Parallel Program until his retirement in 2000. He also served as southern coordinator of the university"s Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program. He was a Fellow of the university"s Center for Advanced Studies.
In addition to his teaching in the field of American history, Dr. Williams was the author of six books, primarily focused on the Delmarva peninsula. These are: "America"s First Hospital: The Pennsylvania Hospital, 1751-1841" (1976); "The Garden of American Methodism," (1984) published for the bicentennial of the Methodist church; "Slavery and Freedom in Delaware" (1996), which was the basis for two national award-winning films; "The First State: An Illustrated History of Delaware" (1985); and "Delmarva"s Chicken Industry: 75 years of Progress" (1998). His book on the environmental history of Delaware, titled "An Environmental History of Delaware, 1641-2000" is scheduled for publication this fall. Dr. Williams also wrote numerous articles for scholarly journals and standard reference works in the fields of medicine, race relations and religion.
He was active in church and civic activities. He served as chairperson of the Delaware Humanities Forum, as president of the Peninsula Delaware Conference Historical Society of the Methodist Church and was a member of the Delaware Heritage Commission. In 1980 he was awarded the Joseph delTufo award for service to the humanities in Delaware.
Dr. Williams was a longtime Sunday school teacher at Wesley United Methodist Church, Georgetown, where he also chaired numerous commissions and committees. In Georgetown, he served as chairman of the town"s Bicentennial Committee in 1976. Most recently he was active, along with his wife, Helen, in raising funds for a new library in Georgetown. When his sons were young, he coached Little League baseball. He was a member of the Sussex Pines Country Club, where he enjoyed playing golf.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a son, David Garrett Williams, who died in 1978.
He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Helen Garrett Williams; a daughter and a son-in-law, Dawn Esther and August Stitzel of Annapolis, Md.; a son and a daughter-in-law, Mark Thomas Kym Oppenheim Williams of Newton, Mass.; two granddaughters, Amelia Blaine Williams and Sarah Elizabeth Williams; five brothers and five-sisters-in-law, Wayne D. and Marlene Williams of Port Jefferson, N.Y., Jerry R. and Rose Williams of New Paltz, N.Y., Thomas J. and Shirley Williams of Upper Black Eddy, Pa., Robert D. and Susan Williams of Harbinger, N.C., and Mark T. and Mary Ann Williams of Stanfordville, N.Y.
A celebration of life service will be 3 p.m. Saturday in Wesley United Methodist Church, East Laurel and North Race streets, Georgetown.
A reception will follow in Jones Hall at the church.
Instead of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Wesley United Methodist Church, 102 E. Laurel St., Georgetown, DE 19947; or Friends of Georgetown Library, 10 West Pine Street, Georgetown, DE 19947 for the Williams Memorial Fund.
GEORGETOWN - William Henry Williams of Georgetown, professor emeritus of history at the University of Delaware, died Saturday, April 7, 2007, of colon cancer. He was 70.
Dr. Williams was a popular and respected professor of American History at the University"s Academic Center in Georgetown for 33 years. In 2006 he was honored as the third Delawarean to receive the Governor"s Heritage Award for "preserving and celebrating Delaware"s history and culture."
He was born June 9, 1936, in Port Jervis, N.Y., and spent his youth in Southold, N.Y. He was the oldest of six sons of the late Henry Williams and Esther Crocker Williams.
In 1958 he graduated from Drew University with a bachelor of arts in history and received a master of science in education from Yeshiva University. He began his long teaching career as a high school teacher at J.H.S. 204 in New York City, and also taught at Pawling Central High School in Pawling, N.Y. He then pursued his doctorate at the University of Delaware, receiving his Ph.D. in 1971.
In 1967 he and his family moved to Georgetown, where Dr. Williams taught in what was then known as the University of Delaware"s Parallel Program until his retirement in 2000. He also served as southern coordinator of the university"s Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program. He was a Fellow of the university"s Center for Advanced Studies.
In addition to his teaching in the field of American history, Dr. Williams was the author of six books, primarily focused on the Delmarva peninsula. These are: "America"s First Hospital: The Pennsylvania Hospital, 1751-1841" (1976); "The Garden of American Methodism," (1984) published for the bicentennial of the Methodist church; "Slavery and Freedom in Delaware" (1996), which was the basis for two national award-winning films; "The First State: An Illustrated History of Delaware" (1985); and "Delmarva"s Chicken Industry: 75 years of Progress" (1998). His book on the environmental history of Delaware, titled "An Environmental History of Delaware, 1641-2000" is scheduled for publication this fall. Dr. Williams also wrote numerous articles for scholarly journals and standard reference works in the fields of medicine, race relations and religion.
He was active in church and civic activities. He served as chairperson of the Delaware Humanities Forum, as president of the Peninsula Delaware Conference Historical Society of the Methodist Church and was a member of the Delaware Heritage Commission. In 1980 he was awarded the Joseph delTufo award for service to the humanities in Delaware.
Dr. Williams was a longtime Sunday school teacher at Wesley United Methodist Church, Georgetown, where he also chaired numerous commissions and committees. In Georgetown, he served as chairman of the town"s Bicentennial Committee in 1976. Most recently he was active, along with his wife, Helen, in raising funds for a new library in Georgetown. When his sons were young, he coached Little League baseball. He was a member of the Sussex Pines Country Club, where he enjoyed playing golf.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a son, David Garrett Williams, who died in 1978.
He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Helen Garrett Williams; a daughter and a son-in-law, Dawn Esther and August Stitzel of Annapolis, Md.; a son and a daughter-in-law, Mark Thomas Kym Oppenheim Williams of Newton, Mass.; two granddaughters, Amelia Blaine Williams and Sarah Elizabeth Williams; five brothers and five-sisters-in-law, Wayne D. and Marlene Williams of Port Jefferson, N.Y., Jerry R. and Rose Williams of New Paltz, N.Y., Thomas J. and Shirley Williams of Upper Black Eddy, Pa., Robert D. and Susan Williams of Harbinger, N.C., and Mark T. and Mary Ann Williams of Stanfordville, N.Y.
A celebration of life service will be 3 p.m. Saturday in Wesley United Methodist Church, East Laurel and North Race streets, Georgetown.
A reception will follow in Jones Hall at the church.
Instead of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Wesley United Methodist Church, 102 E. Laurel St., Georgetown, DE 19947; or Friends of Georgetown Library, 10 West Pine Street, Georgetown, DE 19947 for the Williams Memorial Fund.
