In honor of Black History Month, throughout the month of February, we will recognize just a few of Case Western Reserve University’s black alumni who have made an impact on their fields, the university and society as a whole.
Edward C. Williams graduated valedictorian from Adelbert College in 1892. Soon after, he launched a successful career in library science.
Williams was the first assistant librarian at Western Reserve University’s Hatch Library and later became director of the library. He also helped lay the groundwork for and taught classes at the university’s School of Library Science, which opened in 1904.
He also was a founding member of the Ohio Library Association.
Following his career at the university, Williams traveled to Washington, D.C., where he first served as a high school principal and then a librarian and instructor at Howard University.