William Williamson

William Landram Williamson, 91, Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Madison, died on Saturday, November 19, at Agrace HospiceCare Center. Dr. Williamson was born in Lexington, Kentucky and raised in Atlanta Georgia. He received degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Emory University, Columbia University and the University of Chicago. After service in the U.S. Army as troopship transport commander in World War II, he worked as a librarian at Baylor University, Montclair (NJ) State College and at Columbia University, where he served as Nicholas Murray Butler Librarian from 1954-1964. He was Professor of Library Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1966 until his retirement in 1987. He was library consultant in Indonesia on three occasions, from 1960-62, in 1970, and in 1986. Author of the biography of William Frederick Poole, he was a scholar of American library history and wrote also about international library relations. He served for four years as editor of International Leads, a publication of the International Relations Round Table of the American Library Association.
Professor Williamson was married to Daisy Levy for 40 years. She died in 2002, bequeathing to him a loving step-daughter Andrea Irizarry and her husband Elvin, of Fresh Meadows, NY, three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his devoted wife of five years, the former Gertrude Wright, whom he treasured, and by many loved nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at a later date.