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Robert White Williams was born in East Carroll Parish, Louisiana, on December 5, 1877, to Robert Willoughby and Virginia Sutton Williams. As a young boy, he moved with his parents to Tallahassee, Florida, where he attended Leon County Academy and West Florida Seminary. In 1898, Williams graduated from the Northern Indiana Law School at Valparaiso.
Williams practiced law in Tallahassee before serving the United States government in various positions, including Game Law Assistant, Solicitor of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, supervisor of the National Wildlife Refuges of the Southeastern States, Assistant U.S. Game-Conservation Office, Senior Biologist in charge of the Section of Importations and Permit, and Chief Counsel of the Fish and Wildlife Service. Williams wrote the draft of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 between the United States and Great Britain, protecting birds that migrate between the United States and Canada. He wrote many articles on wildlife protection for various periodicals and was involved with the National Audubon Society. Williams died on September 19, 1940.
Williams's grandfather, for whom he was named, served as a member of the staff of General Andrew Jackson before Jackson appointed him as Surveyor General of the Territory. Territorial Governor Richard Keith Call appointed the senior Williams as the trustee of the township of land just east of Tallahassee that Congress granted to the Marquis de Lafayette in 1823 in appreciation for his service during the Revolutionary War.
Summary:
This collection contains records relating to Robert White Williams's career, family history, and interest in ornithology. It includes correspondence of the senior Robert White Williams, 1849-1855; a biography of Robert White Williams; correspondence of Norma Williams, Williams's wife, 1950; historical writings on Tallahassee, written in 1830; a history of the Territorial Governors of Florida; and materials from the 1924 Florida Centennial Celebration and the 1950 Lafayette Anniversary.
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Folder listing available. 0
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Subject Access Fields:
Call, R.K. 1791-1862 (Richard Keith), Williams, R. W. 1877-1940. (Robert White), Williams, R. W. fl. 1820s-1850s. (Robert White),
National Audubon Society.
Family Florida
Tallahassee (Fla.) Washington (D.C.)
for detailed listing.