G. James and Lyla Williams

G. James Williams, a longtime resident of Midland, Michigan, served in the Army Air Corps and attended law school at the University of Michigan. In 1948, he joined The Dow Chemical Company as part of their legal department. He rose to the position of Financial Vice President, and at the time of his retirement, was a member of the Board of Directors. He also served on the boards of Dow Corning Corporation, Chemical Bank and Trust, Sealed Power Corporation (SPX), and the National Association of Manufacturers. Mr. Williams was committed to serving his community through his philanthropy and affiliation with many organzations, including the Midland Board of Education, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Saginaw Valley State University, the Michigan YMCA, and the Midland Center for the Arts.

Mr. Williams was married to Lyla Landis for 61 years until her death in 2003. They had two daughters, Schuyler Williams and Patricia Sessler, and a son, G. James Williams, Jr. Mr. Williams passed away at age 89 on May 20, 2010, in Delray Beach, Florida.

Mr. and Mrs. Williams were both strong supporters of higher education, and the scholarship was established through a gift from their estate.