20th-century

Lady Bird Johnson speaks at Convocation and helps launch the Williams Center for Environmental Studies. Continue reading »

Williams students attend the first annual Inter-Collegiate Conference of African-American students held at Columbia. Continue reading »

The Angevine Committee releases the report that will lead to the eventual demise of the Williams fraternity system. Continue reading »

Hopkins Observatory begins its move to make room for Prospect. The Observatory is raised onto greased rails in anticipation of its move northwards to make room for the construction of the dorm. This is the second move the Observatory has made. Continue reading »

Martin Luther King, Jr. speaks at Williams College. Continue reading »

Gelett Burgess, author of “Purple Cow” verses, dies at age 85 in Carmel, Calif. The editors of the Williams College humor magazine chose Purple Cow for the title of their publication in October 1907. Burgess’s sequel to the rhyme that brought him more fame than all his other works combined:… Continue reading »

A fire reduces West College to a sagging shell. Continue reading »

Williams awards 328 B.A. degrees at the college’s first outdoor commencement exercises. The exercises are held on the lawn behind Chapin Hall. Two graduates are awarded Honors in Math without the traditional thesis due to the fact that they studied for the actuarial exams. Twenty-two reserve commissions are awarded. One… Continue reading »

The Williams Glee Club broadcasts from Adams Memorial Theatre. “From five to five thirty (E.S.T.) over NBC” — James P. Baxter’s March 9th note to fellow alumni encourages them to tune in to this program that was sponsored by the Monsanto Chemical Company. Continue reading »

The V-12 program at Williams, in which 1076 men were trained, ends. Continue reading »