William Lawrence Williams

Athens - On April 1, 2006, Dr. William L. (Bill) Williams of 330 Stoneland Drive, Athens, Georgia, passed away at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. Dr. Williams was a Research Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry at The University of Georgia. He was born June 14, 1919 in St. Cloud, Minnesota, the son of Will Williams and Edith Mottram Williams. Following graduation from Central Avenue High School in St. Paul, Minnesota he earned his B.S. from the University of Minnesota. After working two years at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York he did graduate work at the University of Wisconsin where he earned his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Biochemistry and received recognition as a Merck & Co. Fellow. During World War II he served as a Lt. (jg) in the Navy aboard the USS Dempsey. Early in his career Dr. Williamsí positions included Biochemist with Fleishmann Laboratories, Research Biochemist at the Naval Medical Research Institute, Professor at North Carolina State University, and Research Biochemist and Head of the Department of Physiological Chemistry at Lederle Laboratories. He achieved widespread recognition for his pioneering research in development of procedures for detection of unknown active biological materials. His work with antibiotic growth factors and with Vitamin B 12 led to effective control of pernicious anemia.
In 1959 Dr. Williams accepted a professorship in the Chemistry Department at The University of Georgia and initiated efforts to form a Department of Biochemistry (for study of the chemical basis of life processes). After much hard work and conflict his dream was realized in 1964 when the Universityís Department of Biochemistry was officially named. At UGA his research efforts became devoted to the Biochemistry of mammalian reproduction. Graduate student members of his research team were first to receive Ph.D. degrees in Biochemistry from the new academic department. Publications by Dr. Williams and his students rapidly attracted international recognition to one of the worldís earliest research laboratories devoted to the Biochemistry of reproduction. His work during this period led to his selection in 1968 as ìThe State of Georgia Scientist of the Year.î He became the third University scientist to receive this honor.
Over a 25 year period, Dr. Williams and coworkers described their discoveries in more than 120 papers in leading scientific journals. Among his many contributions were a better understanding of biochemical mechanisms involved in processes that sperm undergo in the female reproductive tract to enable fertilization to take place and the sperm enzymes responsible for penetrating mammalian eggs. Dr. Williams is credited with naming ìAcrosinî which is the major sperm penetrating enzyme. His established techniques for the study of reproductive phenomena are in use today in laboratories throughout the world. For many years he was UGAís most successful faculty member in obtaining extramural support including ongoing grants from the National Institutes of Health and the prestigious NIH Research Career Development Award from which he was able to pay his own salary from 1962-1972. A patented assay for protein quantitation developed in his laboratory brought significant royalties to UGA over a span of 17 years. Dr. Williams retired in 1984 but was honored in 1991 when he was given the Universityís first ìInventor of the Year Award.î In 1979, on the occasion of his 60th birthday, Dr. Williams was honored by 43 students, postdocs and faculty, past and present, of the Reproduction Research Labs at UGA by their participation as Symposium speakers at the ìWilliams Research Conference.î
Dr. Williams played a key role as a cofounder of the Society for the Study of Reproduction, an international organization encompassing the many different disciplines involved in reproductive biology, and served as an initial Director and later as Program Chair and host for an annual meeting held at UGA. He was also active in the American Society of Biological Chemists, American Physiological Society, American Institute of Nutrition, Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, the Society for the Study of Fertility and as Corresponding Member for U.S.A. of Societa Italianna per il Progresso della Zootechnica. Dr. Williams was frequently called on for consultative assistance to NIH and industrial organizations interested in population control and he served on the Board of Scientific Advisors for the American Council on Science and Health. He served on editorial boards for several scientific journals, was popular as a guest lecturer in Fertilization Training Programs, and made important contributions through organizing Gordon Research Conferences and Reproduction Symposia. He was a Population Council Visiting Scientist in the Center for Biomedical Research at Rockefeller University in New York, contributed to the Michigan State University Endocrine Research Unit as an Honorary Member, and was an invited speaker at Nobel Symposium No. 15.
Dr. Williams was predeceased by his parents, a sister Harriet W. Egbert, a brother Barley Keith Williams, and his first wife Opal Faye Romedy Williams. Dr. Williams is survived by his wife Florence Williams, a son Larry K. Williams and Jan of Dacula, GA, a daughter Jan Thompson of Bowman, GA, stepsons Tommy and Edna Archer, Watkinsville, GA, James Archer, Paradise Valley, AZ, stepdaughter Lisa Waggoner, Scottsdale, AZ, grandsons Marshall Thompson and Heather, Royston, GA, and Branyon Thompson, Bowman, GA, step-grandsons, Jason Archer, Scottsdale, AZ, Josh Archer, Augusta, GA, Zack Archer, Paradise Valley, AZ and Austin Waggoner, Scottsdale, AZ, who was very special to Bill and a great-grandson Kaden Thompson, Royston, GA, step-granddaughters Yvette Snow, Alana, Aleisha and Berkerly Archer, Gainesville, GA, Ansley and Alex Waggoner, Scottsdale, AZ. Bill was a member of Farm House Fraternity, the ìMall Walkers Club,î the American Legion Unit 185 and the VFW Post 2872. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He loved people and greeted everyone with a big smile. He will be greatly missed. A memorial service and celebration of Billís life will be on Wednesday, June 14, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. at The University Chapel.
Donations can be made to the University of Georgia Foundation Biochemistry Seminar Enrichment Fund, 394 S. Milledge Avenue, Suite 100, Athens, GA 30602.
Bernstein Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.