Williams, William Henry, 1936-2007

William H. Williams (1936-2007), noted scholar of Delaware history, served as a professor and leader for the University of Delaware Parallel Program in Georgetown, Delaware, and was highly involved in Delaware public life.

From the description of William H. Williams papers. 1907-2006, bulk 1976-2004. (University of Delaware Library). WorldCat record id: 300482013

William H. Williams (1936–2007), noted scholar of Delaware history, served as a professor and leader for the University of Delaware Parallel Program in Georgetown, Delaware, and was highly involved in Delaware public life.

William H. Williams was born on June 9, 1936, in Port Jervis, New York, and spent his childhood on Long Island. He received his B.A. from Drew University in 1958 and a Master of Science in Education from Yeshiva University in 1959. From 1958 to 1963, Williams taught social studies in and near New York City. Pursing his interest in history, Williams entered the University of Delaware’s history program in 1963, where he began a lifelong relationship, first as a student and later as a colleague, of the esteemed Delaware historian John Munroe. In 1971, Williams completed a Ph.D. in history and began his long career as a professor and leader of the University of Delaware Parallel Program in Georgetown, Delaware.

Williams came to be known as one of the preeminent historians and scholars of Delaware history, in the company of John Munroe and Henry Clay Reed. Williams published his first book in 1976, about the Pennsylvania Hospital, and subsequently authored six more books on the history of Delaware and the Delmarva Peninsula. He wrote on such topics as slavery, the Delmarva poultry industry, the history of Methodism, and the environment. In addition to his academic pursuits, Williams was deeply involved in state and local affairs, serving on the Delaware Humanities Council as well as many Georgetown community boards. He also had a deep commitment to the Wesley United Methodist Church in Georgetown. As part of the church leadership, he provided guidance for new members of the community, organized activities, and helped formulate long-term financial and spirtual goals. Upon his retirement in 2000, the University of Delaware History department established the William H. Williams Scholarship in Early American History, awarded to students who have an exceptional aptitude for history.

Williams passed away on April 7, 2007 in Venice, Florida, from colon cancer. He is survived by his wife, Helen G. Williams, and children Dawn W. Stitzel and Mark T. Williams. He was predeceased by one son. His final book, published posthumously in 2009 by the The Delaware Heritage Commission, is Man and Nature in Delaware: An Environmental History of Delaware, 1631-2000, a comprehensive history of man's interaction with nature in what is now the state of Delaware.

Scholarship honors late historian William H. Williams. UD Messenger, Vol. 15, no. 3, 2007. http://www.udel.edu/PR/Messenger/06/03/CNScholarship.html (accessed June 20, 2008). Heritage Commission announces publication of environmental history. UDaily, December 15, 2008. http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2009/dec/history120508.html (accessed December 17, 2008). Additional information derived from the collection.

From the guide to the William H. Williams papers, 1907–2006, 1976–2004, (University of Delaware Library - Special Collections)