Jack Kenny Williams, Ph.D., (1920–1981) was a teacher who became an administrator then eventually president and chancellor of one of the largest university systems in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, before returning to the role of teacher.

Early years

Jack K. Williams was born April 5, 1920, in Galax, Virginia, where he grew up. He graduated from Galax High School in 1936.Galax Native is Selected for $40,000-a-Year Texas Post in Higher Education ''Galax Gazette'' (1966, March 29) page 6A. He then attended

Emory and Henry College Emory & Henry College (E&H or Emory) is a private liberal arts college in Emory, Virginia. The campus comprises of Washington County, which is part of the Appalachian highlands of Southwest Virginia. Founded in 1836, Emory & Henry College is ...

Emory, Virginia Emory is a census-designated place (CDP) in Washington County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,251 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kingsport– Bristol (TN)– Bristol (VA) Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a com ...

, graduating in 1940. He began his professional career as a high school teacher and secondary principal in

Carroll County, Virginia Carroll County is a United States county located in the southwestern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Roughly one fifth of the county lies in the Virginia Piedmont region, while the rest is part of the Appalachian Mountains. The count ...

Higher education

Williams' higher education career began with two years as a graduate teaching fellow at

Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

. During this time he earned his Masters and Ph.D. degrees. Next came 17 years of teaching and leadership in administration at

Clemson University Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enr ...

Clemson, South Carolina Clemson () is a city in Pickens and Anderson counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. Clemson is home to Clemson University; in 2015, ''the Princeton Review'' cited the town of Clemson as ranking #1 in the United States for " town-and-go ...

. He joined the Clemson faculty following World War II as an instructor. He taught history and government and worked his way up to become graduate dean. In 1960, he was named Clemson's dean of faculty and vice president for academic affairs.

Military service

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Williams served as an officer with the Fourth Division of the U.S. Marine Corps. He served his country with distinction in the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...

. He retired from the Marine Corps with a rank of Major.

Texas A&M years

On September 11, 1970, Williams was elected as the 17th president of

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...

. On May 24, 1977, he was elevated to the position of Chancellor of the entire Texas A&M System. The Texas A&M System is one of the largest university systems in the United States. He resigned as the Texas A&M chancellor on January 24, 1979, to return to teaching. It was teaching that he loved most. During his career he authored numerous books and related works, several of these are listed in the external links below. Williams died September 28, 1981, in Houston, Texas, and was buried on the

campus in the Woodland Cemetery. His headstone reads simply “Jack Kenny Williams -- teacher”Find a Grave. Retrieved from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/78173680

References

External links

Books by Jack Kenny WilliamsWorks by Jack Kenny Williams''Keepers of the Spirit''. Texas A&M University. The Centennial Decade--Jack Kenny Williams EraJack K. Williams Administration Building, Texas A&M University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Jack Kenny 1920 births 1981 deaths Chancellors of Texas A&M University System Presidents of Texas A&M University Emory and Henry College alumni Clemson University faculty 20th-century American academics