James Reid Williamson Jr.

1935 - 2017

J. Reid Williamson, Jr. died on September 10, 2017. He was born in 1935 in Bridgeport, Connecticut to Emma Eunice Harper and J. Reid Williamson, Sr. He graduated from Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut in 1952, where he was the Head Monitor, President of the Student Council and played varsity football, basketball, soccer and tennis (Captain).

He graduated from Yale University in 1956, where he was President of the Student Council, and played basketball, squash (#1 and Captain), soccer, and tennis (Captain). He was a member of Yale's Drama Club, wrote for Yale's newspaper, and was the business manager of the Yale literary magazine, yearbook and orchestra. He was a member of the Yale Glee Club, Berzelius Secret Society, and was President of Chi Psi fraternity.

After Yale, Reid served three years active duty as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Marines Corps stationed at the Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort, S.C. He also played on the Marine Corps Tennis Team and, as a member of its doubles team, won the U.S. Armed Forces Inter-Service annual tennis tournament twice, and was a runner up in singles. After his discharge, Reid joined the U.S. Air Force Reserves, where he was the Commander of the 117th Tactical Control Squadron of the Georgia Air National Guard on Eisenhower Avenue. He retired from the Reserves after twenty-one years with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Reid started his civilian career in Savannah, Georgia with Great Dane Trailers, then was the assistant director of the Savannah District Authority (now known as the Savannah Economic Development Authority). He was the Assistant Director of the Dekalb County Chamber of Commerce, and in 1966, he became the first Executive Director of Historic Savannah Foundation, where he played a vital role in advocating for the protection and preservation of the Historic District against the then-prevailing pro-demolition attitudes held by most of the City's leaders. He moved to Indianapolis, Indiana in 1974, where for 31 years he was the President of Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, Inc., the second largest historic preservation organization in the country, after the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Reid also was the Chairman of the National Trust's Midwest Board and a Trustee on its national Board of Trustees. On the occasion of his 2005 retirement from Historic Landmarks, his close friend throughout his Indianapolis years, Randall Shepard, Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, summarized succinctly Reid's contribution to that organization: "In the course of his outstanding career, Reid Williamson nurtured Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana from a sapling to its current position as one of the tallest trees in the preservation forest."

In 2003, Reid was designated an "Indiana Living Legend." In 2006, he was awarded the Historic Preservation Medal by the Garden Club of America. Reid's proudest career recognition was receiving in 2005 the Crowninshield Award, the most prestigious annual award that is given by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Reid is survived by his two sons, J. Reid Williamson, III, his wife Wendy, and Robert G. Williamson, his grandchildren Ruth D. Williamson, Carol L. Williamson, J. Reid Williamson, IV, Cassady R. Williamson, Marguerite A. G. Williamson, and Halsey F. B. Williamson, and by his two (most recent) lady-friends, Josie ("Mama 2") Coleman and Darcie Little.

A graveside service will be held at 10:00 A.M. on Friday in the Greenwich Section of Bonaventure Cemetery. Reid asked that any desired remembrances of him be sent to Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, Inc., or to Historic Savannah Foundation.