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Gift of Mrs. T. N. Park, 1970 September 9 (Accession 1970-0001).
[Identification of item], Charles Burgess Williams Papers, MC 16, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
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Charles Burgess Williams was born on 1871 December 23, in Shiloh, Camden County, North Carolina. He was the son of farmer Robert J. and Susan Burgess Williams. Williams' association with North Carolina State University began when he registered for classes on 1889 October 3, the day the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts first opened its doors. A member of the College's first class, Williams was captain of the first football team. He graduated in 1893 with highest honors and a Bachelor of Science in agriculture.
Upon graduation in 1893, Williams was hired as the College's first instructor of chemistry and the assistant chemist of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station. Williams served in the latter capacity until 1896, the same year he obtained a Master of Science in Agriculture from the College. For the academic year 1896-1897, Williams attended the Johns Hopkins University on a fellowship in chemistry. He returned to the College and resumed his position at the Experiment Station, remaining there until 1906. In 1906-1924 and 1926-1940, Williams served as the College's first head of the Department of Agronomy at the North Carolina Experiment Station. He was named Director of the Experiment Station in 1907 and served until 1912. He was Vice-Director from 1913 until 1940. He was the first Dean of the School of Agriculture between 1917 and 1924.
Williams' research focused on soybeans, soil surveys, and fertilizers. Between 1896 and 1934 he published more than 230 articles, bulletins, and books on these subjects. During his academic career, Williams studied at the National Graduate Summer School of Agriculture at Ohio State University (1902) and researched agriculture in California (1899), Ontario, Canada (1904), and Europe (1928). While at the College, Williams served as the Chairman of the North Carolina state soil survey (1915), Chairman of the Southeastern Tobacco Research Committee (1920-1941), and Chairman of the Southeastern Agronomy Research Committee (1927-1931 and 1936-1942). He was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, the National Grange, and a fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was also a charter member of the American Society of Agronomy and its president in 1926. For his contributions to agricultural studies, Williams was listed in
Williams retired from administrative duties in 1940, but remained an active College faculty member until his death on 1947 June 25. Williams had served the institution for more than fifty-three years, longer than almost any other man until that time. He was survived by his wife Margaret Williams Moring Williams, one son, and two daughters. Margaret, a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, was born on 1879 October 4, and was a graduate of Peace College in Raleigh and the Southern Conservatory of Music in Durham, North Carolina. The couple married on 1900 July 5.
This collection contains material relating to the personal and professional life of Charles Burgess Williams in addition to material that documents the history of North Carolina State University. Materials are in the format of photographs as well as written documents such as newspaper and magazine articles, correspondence and telegrams, published and unpublished writings, and certificates.
The collection is organized into three series. The Personal Materials series contains documents relating to Williams' family, community activities, and death. The Professional Materials series is divided into three subseries, namely Professional Organizations, Research and Writings, and Biographical Materials. The North Carolina State University series contains photographs as well as materials relating to agriculture, the university's fiftieth anniversary, university archives, and dedication of Williams Hall.
This series contains documents relating to Williams' family, community activities, and death. Family materials include newspaper articles about the May 1940 death of Williams' brother Claude. The folder also includes newspaper articles about the death of Patrick Henry Williams (1869 September 27 - 1935 May 10), a native of Pasquotank County, North Carolina; a state legislator during the 1920s; and the son of Robert Williams (1812 January 1 - 1896 August 11) and Marenda Torskey Williams (1837 October 17 - 1916 September 1). His relationship to Charles Burgess Williams remains unclear. Community activities documents Williams' participation in business organizations and social events in Raleigh. Materials about Williams' death include condolences to his wife as well as published articles about his death and funeral.
This series is divided into three subseries. The Professional Organizations subseries documents Williams' participation in numerous academic associations and receipt of professional honors. The Research and Writings subseries contains information about and the final report from Williams' committee in Europe as well as published booklets and articles, edited manuscripts, and lists of his publications. The Biographical Materials subseries documents Williams' personal life and professional accomplishments in a variety of print formats.
Online Content
Online Content
This series contains photographs of North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechnanic Arts and a variety of textual materials. Two photographs are images of individuals near the campus in the late-nineteenth or early-twentieth centuries; a third is of the college football team in 1895. Agriculture materials contain course booklets, an article about a campus corn show, and a proposed consolidation plan for the Experimental Station. University Archives materials include Williams' correspondence regarding the College's desired acquisition of faculty and alumni papers. This series also contains published materials documenting special College events, namely the fiftieth anniversary of the College and the dedication of a campus building named after Williams.