John Henry Williams, Ph.D.

Appalachian State University

Universities and colleges--Faculty

Dr. Richard D. Howe

Mary Elizabeth Gragg

1987

Biographical sketches

Boone (N.C.)

https://www.geonames.org/4456703/boone.html

1980s

2000-2010

Associate Professor Emeritus

Associate Professor Emeritus of Health, Physical Education and Recreation John Henry Williams (May 16, 1911-), retired college professor, was born in New York City, New York, and was married to Hubertien Helen Williams, a professor in the English department at Appalachian State University. The couple have four children: two sons, Richard Dale (May 19,1949-) and John David (November 27, 1952-) and two daughters, Hubertien Helen (August 7, 1954- ) and Elizabeth Marie (May 27, 1961—). The couple divorced in 1975. On November 11,1980, Dr. John Williams married Fannie N.B. Williams. In 1929, at the age of 18, Williams won a national diving championship as a member of the New York Athletic Club and was invited by the Olympic Committee to train for the 1932 Games to be held in Los Ange­les. Williams and other members of the team toured the United States giving diving exhi­bitions to help raise money for the team. Just before the Olympic trials Williams broke a thumb and was not able to compete. He participated as an honorary member of the diving team during the 1936 Games held in Berlin, Germany. His business career as an Assistant Credit Manager for American Cynamid Corporation in New York City was inter­rupted in 1941 when, immediately after Pearl Harbor, Williams volunteered for the United States Army Air Corps. He was accepted for officer training, and went on to serve on active duty during the second world war and the Korean conflict. He had assignments in both the European and Pacific theaters and was one of the first airborne combat officers to land at Atsugi, Japan, upon cessation of hostilities. He was a member of General MacArthur's staff during the early days of the Japanese occupation. He was retired in 1971 with the rank of Colonel after 29 years of active and reserve duty. Even though on the retired list, Williams serves as a Liaison officer in North Carolina for the United States Air Force Academy as an associate admissions officer providing guidance and counseling for young men and women desirous of attending the academy. After retiring from active duty, Wil­liams enrolled at the University of Denver in Colorado, where he had a swimming scholar­ship, in 1953. There he received his B.A. in education in 1955. He then immediately began work on his M.S. degree in health, physical education and recreation at the University of Washington in Seattle. Wil­liams received the M.S. in 1956. Williams returned to Colorado in 1956 to accept a position as an instructor in the Department of Health and Physical Educa­tion at the University of Denver. During his first year of service there, Williams was in­vited to join the faculty in the department of Health and Physical Education at the Univer­sity of New Mexico, Albuquerque at the rank of assistant professor. While at the Univer­sity of New Mexico, he was active in organ­izing gymnastics and swimming competi­tions for the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Amateur Athletic Union. He also served as the first coach of the varsity swimming team. In 1962, after five years of service at the University of New Mexico, Williams ac­cepted a teaching fellowship at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. There he worked on his Ed.S. degree in school administration and health education, which he re­ceived in 1964. Williams' research disserta­tion for the Ed.S. merited a United States Public Health Service Traineeship Fellow­ship at the University of California School of Public Health, Berkeley Campus. Williams received his M.P.H. degree in public health education from the University of California in 1965. In 1965 Williams was offered a faculty appointment at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. After three years of service as associate professor in the Department of Health and Physical Education, Aquatics and Gymnastics, and as a varsity swim coach there, he was given a leave of absence to accept a three-year NDEA Fellowship at Bowling Green State University. At the same time he was awarded a Bowling Green State University Distinguished Alumni Fellow­ship to work on a Ph.D. in school administra­tion and health education. In 1969 Williams accepted a position at Appalachian State University as an assistant professor in the Department of Health, Physi­cal Education and Recreation with only his dissertation left to complete for his Ph.D. He received his Ph.D. in 1973 and was promoted to associate professor the same year. Also in 1973, he was appointed to the graduate fac­ulty. His publications include: "Producing Champion Divers," The Athletic Journal, 1957. "Coaching Springboard Diving," The Journal AAIIPER, 1957. "Formulating a Philosophical Foundation for Teach­ing Physical Education," The Tennessee AAIIPER Journal, 1968. 'Teaching/Coaching Methods and Techniques, Springboard Diving," SDAAHPER Convention Proceedings, February 27,1970. "Demonstration of Teaching Techniques, Diving Above and Below Water," SDAAHPER Con­vention Proceedings, February 27, 1970. "A National Survey of Why Women and Men Com­pete in Masters Championship Swimming and Diving Meets," The Diver, Vol. 3, No. 1, Febru­ary/March, 1982. "Reflections, Priorities, Dollars and Sense-A Be y-up Experience," Journal of the North Carolina Association on Aging, Vol. 1, Winter, 1986. Professionally, Williams served on the following national committees: Research Council, American School Health Associa­tion; Committee on ByLaws, American Public Health Association; Section Chair­man, Southern District American Associa­tion for Health, Physical Education and Recreation; and North Carolina Population Council, North Carolina Public Health Asso­ciation. Williams also belonged to The Royal Society of Health in London, England; the American Associations of School Health, Public Health, School Administrators, and Health, Physical Education and Recreation; the National Associations of College Gym­nastics, and Recreation and Parks; the Col­lege Swimming Coaches Association of America; and the Tennessee Public Health Association. Williams' demonstrated scholarship and leadership have earned him membership in Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Delta Kappa, Kappa Delta Pi, and Phi Kappa Phi. He is also listed in Who's Who in American Education, Personalities of the South, and Dictionary of International Biog­raphies. In the community, Williams has worked with the Red Cross for 25 years conducting programs in water safety and safety education in Albuquerque, New Mex­ico and Chattanooga, Tennessee. He also served on the Metropolitan Council of Chat­tanooga Community Task Force for the Eld­erly. Additionally, he served as consultant to help improve health education programs in the Chattanooga and Hamilton County, Tennessee school systems; the Bowling Green City School system in Ohio; and the Albuquerque City School system in New Mexico. Williams retired from his position at Appalachian in 1974 and was granted emeri­tus status by the Board of Trustees the same year. Upon his retirement Williams donated seven expressionistic oil paintings to the University that he had painted and discussed at the Spring Colloquy on April 25, 1974. His paintings are part of the holdings at Western Carolina University; the University of Denver, Colorado; the University of New Mexico; and Bowling Green State Univer­sity, Ohio. He has had numerous one-man shows of his paintings and sculptures and is recognized as a professional artist with a special talent for color combinations in the impressionistic style of Manet, Renoir, Monet, Degas, Morisot, Pisarro, Cassatt, and Cezanne. He studied sculpture in Cortona, Italy while earning his Fine arts degree, magna cum laude, from Western Carolina University in 1977. Williams uses the theme Images and Symbols of Man as a dominating force in his alabaster and steatite carvings. All of his creative sculptures are encrusted with precious gemstones. In his retirement Williams has re­mained active in both swimming and diving by participating in and winning Master's swimming competitions in the 70-74 age group. He is the state and national champion for 1980-1985. He has also continued his painting and stone sculpturing. In addition, Williams has earned a postdoctoral certifi­cate in gerontology from the University of Georgia in 1978 and is a recognized authority in the study of aging. He is in demand as a lecturer in gerontology, speaking to groups in various community settings and advocating the study of human aging at high schools and colleges. Williams' interest in aging has led him to serve as a Congressional Senior Intern for both the United States House of Representa­tives and the Senate in Washington, D.C. and as a delegate for both the North Carolina and the National White House Conferences on Aging. Additionally he is a member of: President's Council on Fitness and Aging; Governor Martin's Advisory Council on Aging, the Committee on Wellness and the Arts; the Burke County Cultural Arts Com­mission; the Retired Officers Association, Hickory Chapter, and the Reserve Officers Association and Advisory Board on Aging, representing Burke County in the Council of Government, Unifour area. He and Fannie reside in Valdese, N.C. Sources: Appalachian State University files and personal correspondence. - Dr. Richard D. Howe and Miss Mary Elizabeth Gragg