Gregory H. Williams facts for kids

Gregory Howard Williams is a very smart person who has done many important things. He is a scholar, a lawyer, and an author. He also led two big universities as their president. He was the president of the University of Cincinnati from 2009 to 2012. Before that, he was the president of the City College of New York from 2001 to 2009.

Early Life and Education

Gregory Howard Williams was born on November 12, 1943, in Muncie, Indiana. He grew up in Gum Springs, Virginia. When he was 10, he moved back to Muncie with his father and brother. There, he learned about his father's African American background. Even though this was confusing at first, he learned to love learning, just like his dad.

His College Journey

Gregory Williams went to Ball State University. He earned his first degree there in 1966. To pay for college, he worked as a deputy sheriff in Muncie. After that, he taught history and government in Virginia. He kept studying and earned a master's degree from the University of Maryland in 1969.

Becoming a Lawyer and Scholar

In 1971, he earned a law degree (J.D.) from George Washington University. For two years, he worked in Washington, D.C. He was a helper for a US Senator, Vance Hartke. This meant he helped the senator with laws and other important tasks. Later, he earned two more degrees in political science from George Washington University. He also got a business degree (MBA) from Mercy College (New York).

Career Highlights

In 1977, Gregory Williams became a professor at the University of Iowa Law School. He taught classes about criminal law and how laws are made. He also helped run the law school as an associate dean. This meant he helped with things like student admissions and finding new teachers.

Helping Others and Traveling

He also advised a program that trained foreign lawyers. For many years, he was part of a group that advised the United States Civil Rights Commission in Iowa. This group worked to protect people's rights. He also taught as a visiting professor in England, at Durham University and Cambridge University.

Leading a Law School

From 1993 to 2001, Williams was the dean of the Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University. As dean, he helped the school grow a lot. The number of professors increased, and he raised $25 million to support the school. During this time, he also wrote a book called Life on the Color Line. This book won an award from the Los Angeles Times.

Leading Universities

In 2001, Gregory Williams became the president of the City College of New York. This is a very important school in New York City. During his time there, more students enrolled, and the school's academic standards got much better. He also helped raise over $230 million for the college. This money helped the school do many great things.

Many students at City College come from different backgrounds. More than one-third are Hispanic, and nearly 30 percent are African or African American. About half of the students were born outside the United States of America. People on campus speak about ninety different languages!

In 2009, Williams became the president of the University of Cincinnati. He started a big plan called UC2019 to help the university grow. During his time, the number of students reached a record high. He left the university in 2012 for personal reasons.

Special Awards and Honors

Gregory Williams has received many awards for his work. In 1998, President Bill Clinton asked him to help promote diversity and free legal services. He was named Dean of the Year by a national law group. The National Bar Association also gave him an award for helping to protect human and civil rights.

He received many other honors, including:

• The A. Leon Higginbotham Jr. Award (1999).
• A tribute from New York Governor George Pataki (2004).
• An award from Austria for science and art (2006).
• An honorary mayor-president title in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (2006).
• The Key to the City of Muncie, Indiana (2006).
• The Langston Hughes Award for his contributions to arts and letters (2009).
• The George Washington University Law School Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award (2015).

There is even a special teaching position named after him at Ohio State University. It is called the Gregory H. Williams Chair in Civil Rights & Civil Liberties. He also received honorary doctorate degrees from several universities.

Boards and Committees

Gregory Williams has served on many important boards. He was an independent trustee for Franklin Templeton, a financial company. He also helped lead the Urban America Fund II. He was appointed by the Governor of Iowa to chair the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy Council. He also chaired the Iowa Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights.

Personal Life

Gregory Williams married Sara Catherine Whitney on August 29, 1969. They have four children: Natalia Dora, Zachary Benjamin, Anthony Bîadîmir, and Carlos Gregory.