Edward Christopher Williams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Edward Christopher Williams
Born	(1871-02-11)February 11, 1871 Cleveland, Ohio
Died	December 24, 1929(1929-12-24) (aged 58) Freedman's Hospital, Washington, DC
Nationality	American
Education	Western Reserve University New York State Library
Occupation	University librarian Instructor Author
Employer	Western Reserve University Howard University
Known for	First professionally trained African-American librarian
Spouse(s)	Ethel Chesnutt
Children	1

Edward Christopher Williams (born February 11, 1871 – died December 24, 1929) was a very important person in American history. He was the first African-American to be professionally trained as a librarian in the United States. He was also a talented writer.

Edward Williams was born in Cleveland, Ohio. His father was African-American, and his mother was Irish. He was a brilliant student. He graduated with honors from Western Reserve University in 1892. After college, he started his career as a librarian. He later became a principal and a university librarian. He worked at Howard University until he passed away in 1929.

Williams's novel, When Washington Was in Vogue, was published in 2004. This book helped people remember him as an important writer from the Harlem Renaissance. This was a time when African-American art and culture thrived. His novel is considered one of the first epistolary novels by an African American. An epistolary novel is a story told through letters.

Edward Williams's Life

Edward Williams was the only son of Daniel P. Williams and Mary Kilkary Williams. His father was well-known in Cleveland. Edward went to public schools in Cleveland. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1892. He was a top student at Adelbert College. He was chosen for the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. This is a group that recognizes excellent college students. He was also the best student in his graduating class.

In 1902, Edward married Ethel Chesnutt. She was the daughter of the famous writer Charles Waddell Chesnutt. Edward and Ethel had one son, Charles Chesnutt Williams. Their son later became a lawyer.

Edward Williams's Career

Williams started his library career in 1892. He worked as an assistant librarian at Hatch Library. This library was part of Western Reserve University (WRU). After two years, he became the library director.

In 1898, Williams took a break from work. He went to study for a master's degree in librarianship. He studied at the New York State Library. He finished the two-year program in just one year! Then, he returned to WRU. He worked as a Librarian and Instructor until 1909. He helped the library double the number of books it had.

Before WRU opened its library school, Williams taught some classes. These classes were about national bibliography. This means learning how to find and list books from a country. He also helped decide that the school should be created. When the library school opened in 1904, he taught about bibliography and reference.

In 1909, Williams left WRU. He became the Principal of the M Street High School in Washington, D.C. This school is now known as Dunbar High School. He worked there for seven years.

In 1916, Williams became the head librarian at Howard University. He spent 13 years there. He worked hard to improve the university's library. He also taught classes as a professor. He taught bibliography and German language. He even led the romance languages department. He also directed classes that trained new librarians. Williams believed that libraries needed more professional staff. He worked to make library resources better. People at Howard University called him "The Dean of the library school."

Working with Library Groups

Edward Williams was not only a librarian and teacher. He also helped start many important groups. He was a founding member of the Ohio Library Association (OLA). He was elected secretary of this group in 1904. He gave many speeches and lectures. These talks were about college libraries.

Williams was also a member of the American Library Association (ALA). This is a big national group for librarians. He helped with their meetings and events. In 1928, he gave a speech at an ALA meeting. His talk was called "Library Needs of Negro Institutions." He also helped plan the first meeting for African American librarians. This meeting was held at Fisk University in 1930.

In 1904, Williams served as vice-president of the New York State Library School Association.

Edward Williams's Writings

Besides his library work, Williams was also a writer and translator. He wrote:

• The Exile (an Italian classical play)
• The Sheriff's Children
• The Chasm

He also wrote many articles, poems, and short stories. These were published in The Messenger magazine. This was between 1925 and 1927.

Williams's main stories were about the challenges faced by Black society in Washington, D.C. For example, his novel The Letters of Davy Carr, a True Story of Colored Vanity Fair was published in The Messenger. It appeared in parts from January 1925 to July 1926. Sometimes, he used a pen name, Bertiuccio Dantino, for his articles.

Williams was very good at languages. He knew five languages: English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. He translated documents from different languages into English. Early in his career, he even received job offers to become a translator.

His novel The Letters of Davy Carr was found again by a scholar named Adam McKible. It was published as When Washington Was in Vogue in 2004. This helped show Williams's important place in the history of Harlem Renaissance literature.

His Legacy

Edward Williams was getting ready to earn the first Ph.D. in library science. This degree was offered by Columbia University. But he passed away suddenly on December 24, 1929. He died at Freedmen's Hospital. His funeral was held at Howard University. The university president, Dr. Mordecai Johnson, led the ceremony. Edward Christopher Williams was buried at Lincoln Cemetery in Suitland, Maryland.

Edward Williams was a successful librarian and writer. This was during a time when there was a lot of segregation. He was also a social activist. He spoke out about the problems faced by Black libraries. These problems included old buildings, not enough staff, and a lack of money. He also helped young Black men and women get an education. He encouraged them to learn and become successful.

Williams admired Saint Augustine. His favorite quote was: "Always proceed, never stand still nor go back nor deviate. Be always displeased at what thou art. If thou sayest 'I have enough,' thou diest." This quote showed how he lived his life. He always tried to improve and move forward.

In 1999, American Libraries magazine named him one of the "100 Most Important Leaders We Had in the 20th Century." This shows how much he contributed to libraries and society.