Edward Christopher Williams (February 11, 1871 – December 24, 1929)
["Edward Christopher Williams." ''Notable Black American Men, Book II''. Ed. Jessie Carney Smith. Detroit: Gale, 1998. ''Biography In Context''. Web. October 13, 2013.] was the first
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
professionally trained
librarian
A librarian is a person who works professionally in a library providing access to information, and sometimes social or technical programming, or instruction on information literacy to users.
The role of the librarian has changed much over time, ...
in the United States. His sudden death in 1929 ended his career the year he was expected to receive the first Ph.D. in librarianship. Williams was born on February 11, 1871, in
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, to an
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
father and an
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
mother. Upon his graduation with distinction from Adelbert College of
Western Reserve University
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
in 1892, he was appointed Assistant Librarian of Hatch Library at WRU. Two years later, he was promoted to librarian of Hatch Library until 1909, when he resigned to assume the responsibility of the Principal of M Street High School in
Washington, D.C.
)
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, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
He continued his career as University Librarian of
Howard University
Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...
until his death on December 24, 1929. Williams was rediscovered as a
Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual and cultural revival of African American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater, politics and scholarship centered in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, spanning the 1920s and 1930s. At the t ...
author with the 2004 publication of his novel ''
When Washington Was in Vogue
''When Washington Was in Vogue'' is a Harlem Renaissance novel written by Edward Christopher Williams, set in Washington, D.C. in 1922-3. The first epistolary novel written by an African-American, it was originally serialized in the radical mag ...
'', considered among the earliest
epistolary novel
An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of letters. The term is often extended to cover novels that intersperse documents of other kinds with the letters, most commonly diary entries and newspaper clippings, and sometimes considered ...
s by an African American.
[Lost and Found: A Tale of the Washington Renaissance]
''The Crisis''.
Personal life
Edward Williams was born in
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
,
the only son of Daniel P. Williams, a respected personality in Cleveland, and Mary Kilkary Williams, who was of Irish origin.
[Edward Christopher Williams]
in '' The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History''[ Edward received his education in the public schools of Cleveland, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Adelbert College of ]Western Reserve University
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
in 1892.[ As a distinguished student, he was elected to ]Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...
fraternity and was named class valedictorian.[HarperCollins]
/ref>
Edward married Ethel Chesnutt, the daughter of the writer Charles Waddell Chesnutt, in 1902.[ They had one son, Charles Chesnutt Williams, who later became a lawyer, and died before completing a biography of his father.
]
Career
Williams began his library career in 1892 as an assistant librarian in Hatch Library of Western Reserve University
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
(WRU). After two years, he was promoted to library director.
In 1898, Williams took a sabbatical leave to pursue a master's degree in librarianship at New York State Library
The New York State Library is a research library in Albany, New York, United States. It was established in 1818 to serve the state government of New York and is part of the New York State Education Department. The library is one of the largest ...
. He completed the two years program in one year and went back to resume his responsibilities at WRU as Librarian and Instructor until 1909. He was credited with doubling the size of the collection at WRU.[
Prior to the establishment of the WRU Library School, Williams taught some courses in national bibliography;][ he was also on the committee that recommended the school's establishment.][ Upon opening the library school in 1904, he was appointed instructor of bibliography and reference. In 1909, Williams resigned from his position at WRU and was appointed as Principal of the M Street High School (Dunbar High School) in Washington, D.C., where he served for seven years.
In 1916, Williams was elected head librarian of ]Howard University
Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...
, where he spent 13 years serving the University Library and developing its collection. Williams also assumed additional responsibilities as a professor of bibliography, instructor of German language, chair of the romance languages department,[ and director of library training classes.] During his career at Howard University, he advocated for the need for professional personnel, and he worked on improving the quality of the library resources. Williams also assumed additional responsibilities as a professor of bibliography, instructor of German language, chair of the romance languages department, and director of a Library Training Class. In a Howard news release he was referred to as "The Dean of the library school."
Library associations
In addition to his profession as librarian and instructor, Williams collaborated on the establishment of many associations. He was a founding member of the Ohio Library Association (OLA)[ and was elected secretary in 1904. As the chairman of the Ohio Library Association's College Section, he gave many speeches and lectures at the Ohio Institute of Library Workers. Williams was also a member of the ]American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...
and assisted in its conventions and sessions. He gave a lecture in 1928 in a session of ALA's College and Reference titled "Library Needs of Negro Institutions" and was involved in planning the first conference for African American librarians, held at Fisk University
Fisk University is a private historically black liberal arts college in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1866 and its campus is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1930, Fisk was the first Africa ...
in 1930.
Williams served as vice-president of the New York State Library School Association in 1904.
Works
In addition to his library profession, Williams was also an author and translator. His works include: ''The Exile'' (an Italian classical drama), ''The Sheriff's Children'', ''The Chasm'', and many articles, poems and short stories published in '' The Messenger'' between 1925 and 1927.
Williams' main writings were based on the problems of Washington's black society as in his novel ''The Letters of Davy Carr, a True Story of Colored Vanity Fair,'' serialized in ''The Messenger'' from January 1925 to July 1926. Sometimes, he used a pseudonym, Bertiuccio Dantino, to sign his articles.
Williams excelled in five languages: English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. He translated some documents from different languages into English. Early in his career, he received job offers to become a translator.
''The Letters of Davy Carr'' was rediscovered by scholar Adam McKible and published as ''When Washington Was in Vogue
''When Washington Was in Vogue'' is a Harlem Renaissance novel written by Edward Christopher Williams, set in Washington, D.C. in 1922-3. The first epistolary novel written by an African-American, it was originally serialized in the radical mag ...
'' in 2004, establishing Williams' place in the canon of Harlem Renaissance literature.
Death
Williams was preparing for advanced studies to earn the first Ph.D. in library science offered by Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
, when he died unexpectedly on December 24, 1929, at Freedmen's Hospital. The funeral was held at the Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel on the Howard University
Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...
campus, in the presence of the President of the University, Dr. Mordecai Johnson
Mordecai Wyatt Johnson (January 4, 1890 – September 10, 1976) was an American educator and pastor. He served as the first African-American president of Howard University, from 1926 until 1960. Johnson has been considered one of the three lea ...
, who presided over the ceremony. Edward Christopher Williams was buried at Lincoln Cemetery in Suitland, Maryland
Suitland is an unincorporated community and census designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, approximately one mile (1.6 km) southeast of Washington, D.C. As of the 2020 census, its population was 25,839. Prio ...
.
Edward Williams was not only a successful professional librarian and author at the time of segregation but a social activist too. He was raising the problems and challenges faced by the black people libraries as deteriorated buildings, shortage in staff and lack of funding at every convention. He was also helping young black men and women to pursue their education and expand their knowledge to become successful people.
Williams admired Saint Augustine
Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...
, and his favorite quotation 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,"[Porter, D. B. (1947). Phylon Profile, XIV: Edward Christopher Williams lectronic Version Phylon, 8, 315-321. Retrieved 05/09/2008, from https://www.jstor.org/stable/271740] which was reflected clearly throughout his life and career. E. J. Josey
Elonnie J. Josey (January 20, 1924 – July 3, 2009) was an African-Americans, American activist and librarian. Josey was the first chair of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, having been instrumental in its formation in 1970; s ...
celebrated Williams' career and achievements in his 1969 article:
Edward Christopher Williams' life was not a mere life for us to let pass into oblivion historically, for it was a vast spectacle of scholarly achievements in writing, translating, and understanding the complex problems of libraries; and, it was also a panorama of prodigious teaching and motivation to lead his students to excellence in librarianship …
In 1999, ''American Libraries
''American Libraries'' is the flagship magazine of the American Library Association (ALA).
About
''American Libraries'' was first published in 1970 as a continuation of the long-running ''ALA Bulletin,'' which had served as the Association’s ...
'' named him one of the "100 Most Important Leaders We Had in the 20th Century".[ Leonard Kniffel, Peggy Sullivan, Edith McCormick, "100 of the Most Important Leaders We Had in the 20th Century," ''American Libraries'' 30, no. 11 (December 1999): 43.]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Edward Christopher
American librarians
Writers from Cleveland
1871 births
1929 deaths
Case Western Reserve University alumni
Harlem Renaissance
African-American novelists
African-American librarians
Case Western Reserve University faculty
Howard University faculty
American male novelists
20th-century American novelists
20th-century American male writers
Novelists from Ohio
African-American history of Washington, D.C.
20th-century African-American writers
African-American male writers