Clarence Russell Williams, ED. D., 87, of Ozark died Tuesday, March 17, 2009 in Fort Smith.
He was the son of Solen E. and Nancy A. (Russell) Williams of Johnson County. He served in World War II as one of the first three aerial navigators in the Marines Corps. An educator, artist and musician, he received a bachelor's degree in music and literature from the University of the Ozarks, a master's degree in music from the University of Oklahoma and a doctorate in the fine arts from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. For 10 years he taught choral music in public school in Van Buren and Vinita, staging and directing many musical productions. In 1957, he owned and operated a studio of photography in Ozark, and after 1961, he taught music, speech, drama and debate, as well as music theory, while serving as director of the college choir and head of the department of music at the College of the Ozarks (now University of the Ozarks). In 1965, he became director of Harrison Regional Arts and Crafts Center and Educational Research and Development Center in Harrison. These experimental education programs served 29 school districts in seven counties and won state and national acclaim and awards, receiving special commendation from the U.S. Office of Education, and were disseminated nationwide. During this time, Williams also organized the North Arkansas Concert Association, which developed into a communitywide project providing concerts for students and an annual series of evening concerts and cultural events, such as the Saint Louis Symphony with Walter Susskind conducting, Ballet West, Norman Luboff Choir, Chet Atkins with the Springfield Youth Symphony and many others.
In the late 1970s, Williams was highly instrumental in establishing the North Arkansas Community College, which is now North Arkansas College, a four-year institution in Harrison. Serving as chairman of the steering committee, he organized a countywide effort to provide the support needed to establish the college. He was service as writer and consultant for the Silver Burdett/Ginn Publishers, providing guidelines for the instruction of musically gifted students. He also wrote for a number of historical and genealogical societies and published a number of family histories which are now in special collections and archives throughout the country. He was listed in "Arkansas Lives," "Community Leaders of America," "Community Leaders and Noteworthy Americans," "Dictionary of International Biography," "Leaders in Education," "Men of Achievement," "National Social Directory," "Personalities of the South," "Two Thousand Men of Achievement" and "Who's Who in the South and Southwest." He was a member of the Presbyterian Church, Art Education Association, Music Educators National Conference, Arkansas Art Center, Rotary International, (past president, Ozark) Phi Delta Kappa, North Central Arkansas Concert Association (executive director) and the Air Force Association.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Katala (Green) Williams; daughter, Anitra S. Fay, and husband, Edgar Fay; son, Russell G. Williams; grandson, Matthew W. Fay, and wife, Jessica; and granddaughters, Marissa Williams and Jessica Williams.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 22, at Raymond Munger Memorial Chapel on the University of the Ozarks campus in Clarksville.
Graveside service will be 11 a.m. Monday, March 23, at Highland Cemetery in Ozark under the direction of Shaffer Funeral Home of Ozark.
He was the son of Solen E. and Nancy A. (Russell) Williams of Johnson County. He served in World War II as one of the first three aerial navigators in the Marines Corps. An educator, artist and musician, he received a bachelor's degree in music and literature from the University of the Ozarks, a master's degree in music from the University of Oklahoma and a doctorate in the fine arts from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. For 10 years he taught choral music in public school in Van Buren and Vinita, staging and directing many musical productions. In 1957, he owned and operated a studio of photography in Ozark, and after 1961, he taught music, speech, drama and debate, as well as music theory, while serving as director of the college choir and head of the department of music at the College of the Ozarks (now University of the Ozarks). In 1965, he became director of Harrison Regional Arts and Crafts Center and Educational Research and Development Center in Harrison. These experimental education programs served 29 school districts in seven counties and won state and national acclaim and awards, receiving special commendation from the U.S. Office of Education, and were disseminated nationwide. During this time, Williams also organized the North Arkansas Concert Association, which developed into a communitywide project providing concerts for students and an annual series of evening concerts and cultural events, such as the Saint Louis Symphony with Walter Susskind conducting, Ballet West, Norman Luboff Choir, Chet Atkins with the Springfield Youth Symphony and many others.
In the late 1970s, Williams was highly instrumental in establishing the North Arkansas Community College, which is now North Arkansas College, a four-year institution in Harrison. Serving as chairman of the steering committee, he organized a countywide effort to provide the support needed to establish the college. He was service as writer and consultant for the Silver Burdett/Ginn Publishers, providing guidelines for the instruction of musically gifted students. He also wrote for a number of historical and genealogical societies and published a number of family histories which are now in special collections and archives throughout the country. He was listed in "Arkansas Lives," "Community Leaders of America," "Community Leaders and Noteworthy Americans," "Dictionary of International Biography," "Leaders in Education," "Men of Achievement," "National Social Directory," "Personalities of the South," "Two Thousand Men of Achievement" and "Who's Who in the South and Southwest." He was a member of the Presbyterian Church, Art Education Association, Music Educators National Conference, Arkansas Art Center, Rotary International, (past president, Ozark) Phi Delta Kappa, North Central Arkansas Concert Association (executive director) and the Air Force Association.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Katala (Green) Williams; daughter, Anitra S. Fay, and husband, Edgar Fay; son, Russell G. Williams; grandson, Matthew W. Fay, and wife, Jessica; and granddaughters, Marissa Williams and Jessica Williams.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 22, at Raymond Munger Memorial Chapel on the University of the Ozarks campus in Clarksville.
Graveside service will be 11 a.m. Monday, March 23, at Highland Cemetery in Ozark under the direction of Shaffer Funeral Home of Ozark.
Clarence Russell Williams, ED. D., 87, of Ozark died Tuesday, March 17, 2009 in Fort Smith.
He was the son of Solen E. and Nancy A. (Russell) Williams of Johnson County. He served in World War II as one of the first three aerial navigators in the Marines Corps. An educator, artist and musician, he received a bachelor's degree in music and literature from the University of the Ozarks, a master's degree in music from the University of Oklahoma and a doctorate in the fine arts from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. For 10 years he taught choral music in public school in Van Buren and Vinita, staging and directing many musical productions. In 1957, he owned and operated a studio of photography in Ozark, and after 1961, he taught music, speech, drama and debate, as well as music theory, while serving as director of the college choir and head of the department of music at the College of the Ozarks (now University of the Ozarks). In 1965, he became director of Harrison Regional Arts and Crafts Center and Educational Research and Development Center in Harrison. These experimental education programs served 29 school districts in seven counties and won state and national acclaim and awards, receiving special commendation from the U.S. Office of Education, and were disseminated nationwide. During this time, Williams also organized the North Arkansas Concert Association, which developed into a communitywide project providing concerts for students and an annual series of evening concerts and cultural events, such as the Saint Louis Symphony with Walter Susskind conducting, Ballet West, Norman Luboff Choir, Chet Atkins with the Springfield Youth Symphony and many others.
In the late 1970s, Williams was highly instrumental in establishing the North Arkansas Community College, which is now North Arkansas College, a four-year institution in Harrison. Serving as chairman of the steering committee, he organized a countywide effort to provide the support needed to establish the college. He was service as writer and consultant for the Silver Burdett/Ginn Publishers, providing guidelines for the instruction of musically gifted students. He also wrote for a number of historical and genealogical societies and published a number of family histories which are now in special collections and archives throughout the country. He was listed in "Arkansas Lives," "Community Leaders of America," "Community Leaders and Noteworthy Americans," "Dictionary of International Biography," "Leaders in Education," "Men of Achievement," "National Social Directory," "Personalities of the South," "Two Thousand Men of Achievement" and "Who's Who in the South and Southwest." He was a member of the Presbyterian Church, Art Education Association, Music Educators National Conference, Arkansas Art Center, Rotary International, (past president, Ozark) Phi Delta Kappa, North Central Arkansas Concert Association (executive director) and the Air Force Association.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Katala (Green) Williams; daughter, Anitra S. Fay, and husband, Edgar Fay; son, Russell G. Williams; grandson, Matthew W. Fay, and wife, Jessica; and granddaughters, Marissa Williams and Jessica Williams.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 22, at Raymond Munger Memorial Chapel on the University of the Ozarks campus in Clarksville.
Graveside service will be 11 a.m. Monday, March 23, at Highland Cemetery in Ozark under the direction of Shaffer Funeral Home of Ozark.
He was the son of Solen E. and Nancy A. (Russell) Williams of Johnson County. He served in World War II as one of the first three aerial navigators in the Marines Corps. An educator, artist and musician, he received a bachelor's degree in music and literature from the University of the Ozarks, a master's degree in music from the University of Oklahoma and a doctorate in the fine arts from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. For 10 years he taught choral music in public school in Van Buren and Vinita, staging and directing many musical productions. In 1957, he owned and operated a studio of photography in Ozark, and after 1961, he taught music, speech, drama and debate, as well as music theory, while serving as director of the college choir and head of the department of music at the College of the Ozarks (now University of the Ozarks). In 1965, he became director of Harrison Regional Arts and Crafts Center and Educational Research and Development Center in Harrison. These experimental education programs served 29 school districts in seven counties and won state and national acclaim and awards, receiving special commendation from the U.S. Office of Education, and were disseminated nationwide. During this time, Williams also organized the North Arkansas Concert Association, which developed into a communitywide project providing concerts for students and an annual series of evening concerts and cultural events, such as the Saint Louis Symphony with Walter Susskind conducting, Ballet West, Norman Luboff Choir, Chet Atkins with the Springfield Youth Symphony and many others.
In the late 1970s, Williams was highly instrumental in establishing the North Arkansas Community College, which is now North Arkansas College, a four-year institution in Harrison. Serving as chairman of the steering committee, he organized a countywide effort to provide the support needed to establish the college. He was service as writer and consultant for the Silver Burdett/Ginn Publishers, providing guidelines for the instruction of musically gifted students. He also wrote for a number of historical and genealogical societies and published a number of family histories which are now in special collections and archives throughout the country. He was listed in "Arkansas Lives," "Community Leaders of America," "Community Leaders and Noteworthy Americans," "Dictionary of International Biography," "Leaders in Education," "Men of Achievement," "National Social Directory," "Personalities of the South," "Two Thousand Men of Achievement" and "Who's Who in the South and Southwest." He was a member of the Presbyterian Church, Art Education Association, Music Educators National Conference, Arkansas Art Center, Rotary International, (past president, Ozark) Phi Delta Kappa, North Central Arkansas Concert Association (executive director) and the Air Force Association.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Katala (Green) Williams; daughter, Anitra S. Fay, and husband, Edgar Fay; son, Russell G. Williams; grandson, Matthew W. Fay, and wife, Jessica; and granddaughters, Marissa Williams and Jessica Williams.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 22, at Raymond Munger Memorial Chapel on the University of the Ozarks campus in Clarksville.
Graveside service will be 11 a.m. Monday, March 23, at Highland Cemetery in Ozark under the direction of Shaffer Funeral Home of Ozark.
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