Williams, Clinton

Dr. Otho Clinton (O.C.) Williams, Professor Emeritus of English and Humanities, was born in Forth Worth, Texas in 1908. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1930 with a B.A. in English, and immediately attended the University of Southern California (USC) for his secondary credential and master's degree, both of which he received in 1935. Upon graduation, he attended the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) for his doctorate. In 1946, Williams was appointed professor at San Jose State College, where he taught English and finished his doctoral work at U.C. Berkeley in 1950. Williams was one of the founders and first coordinators of San Jose State College's Humanities Program. Williams was named Chairman of the Humanities Department when the program gained departmental status in 1964, and he served as the chair for ten years. He retired from San Jose State College in 1974 and died in 1997.