Bill, whose grandfather was Percy Williams 1897 and uncle was Jack Williams ’25, died Dec. 2, 2013, in Greensboro, N.C.
Bill came to the class from Deerfield. He roomed with Paul Kydd, Ed Beatty, and Ed Schoeffler.
Bill left Princeton during freshman year and graduated from Colgate University in 1955 as a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
He went on to earn a Ph.D. in sociology in 1965 at Cornell after two years in the Air Force and some teaching at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He returned to UNCG and pursued his scholarly career, eventually becoming chair of the sociology department. With Princeton classmate and colleague Paul Lindsay ’52, he wrote a research monograph, “Does College Make a Difference?”
He leaves his wife, Diana Towne Knox; daughter Virginia (“Ginger”) ’84; and son David, to whom the class extends condolences. Their daughter Carol is deceased.