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Inventory of the Williams Family Papers, 1882-2004
Inventory of the Williams Family Papers, 1882-2004
Descriptive Summary
| Abstract: | The majority of the collection consists of materials related to two memoirs written by Arthur V. Williams, Tales of Charleston 1930s, describing his childhood growing up in Charleston in the 1930s, and Tales of Clemson 1936-1940, on his four years at Clemson University prior to World War II. The collection also contains photographs of the Williams family of Charleston, South Carolina, primarily featuring Arthur V. Williams Sr., his wife Zerline Levy Williams, their two children Arthur V. Williams and Betty Gendelman, as well as correspondence and financial records which pertain mainly to Arthur V. Williams Sr. and his wife, Zerline Levy Williams, with a small amount relating to Arthur V. Williams. |
| Title: | Williams family papers |
| Creator: | Williams family |
| Date(s): | 1882-2004 (bulk 1936-2004) |
| Extent: | 2.75 linear feet (5 document boxes, 1 volume, 1 rolled item) |
| Repository: | Special Collections, College of Charleston Libraries 66 George Street Charleston, SC 29424 Phone: (843) 953-8016 Fax: (843) 953-6319 URL: http://archives.library.cofc.edu |
| Call Number: | Mss 1017 |
| Language of Material: | Materials in English |
Biographical Note
Arthur V. Williams Sr. (1878-1951) was born in Camden, South Carolina, to Jacob M. and Pauline G. Williams. After his father's death, he began working at an early age to help support his mother and nine siblings. In 1918, he married Zerline Levy (1898-1999) and the couple had two children, Betty and Arthur V. Williams Jr. Throughout his life he was a member of Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, in Charleston, South Carolina, serving as secretary and treasurer from 1916 until 1936, when he resigned from that position and became president of the congregation. Arthur was also involved in several local Jewish organizations, including the Hebrew Benevolent Society, for which he served as president, the Hebrew Orphan Society, B'nai B'rith Lodge No. 593, for which he also served as president, the Jewish Welfare Board, and the Anti-Defamation League. Alongside his wife Zerline, he worked as the district manager of the New England Mutual Life Insurance Company of Boston, Massachusetts, for 35 years, until his death in 1951. Zerline went on to work as a life insurance agent with the New Jersey-based Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Company for 15 more years before retiring.
Arthur V. Williams Jr. (1919-2007), was born to Arthur and Zerline Levy Williams in Charleston, South Carolina. After graduating from Charleston High School, he attended Clemson University from 1936 to 1940 and went on to graduate from the Medical College of South Carolina (now the Medical University of South Carolina) in 1943. He served in the United States Army as an internist from 1945 to 1947, during which time he met Mary Jane Mendelsohn, whom he married in 1946. After his service in the army, the couple moved to Milwaukee, where Arthur completed his residency at Marquette University School of Medicine, assisting in the design of the Kolff-type artificial kidney.
He then returned to Charleston to practice internal medicine, making significant advances in the field of nephrology. In 1955, he became one of the first American nephrologists to dialyze a human being. In 1966, he joined the faculty at MUSC to head the Hemodialysis Unit, establishing the first dialysis program in South Carolina and founding the MUSC Division of Nephrology, which he served as director from 1970 to 1984. In addition to writing a textbook on nephrology, he published two memoirs, Tales of Charleston 1930s, in 1999, and Tales of Clemson 1936-1940, in 2002.
Betty Williams Gendelman (1921-2007) was born in Charleston, South Carolina, to Zerline Levy and Arthur Williams. She married Sam Gendelman and the couple had three children: Arthur, Barry, and Paul.
Collection Overview
The majority of the collection pertains to two memoirs written by Arthur V. Williams Jr., Tales of Charleston 1930s, and Tales of Clemson 1936-1940. The material includes multiple drafts of both books (including early versions titled Memories 1920-1930 and The Four Years before WW2), related correspondence, documents regarding publication agreements and preparation, and public relations for the books. The collection also contains family correspondence, mainly between Arthur V. Williams Sr., his wife Zerline Levy Williams, and Arthur V. Williams Jr.; photographs of the Williams family, primarily dating from the 1920s through the 1930s, with a smaller number from the 1940s; a small amount of financial records pertaining primarily to Arthur V. William Sr. and the mortgage on the family's home at 11 Rutledge Avenue in Charleston; and a detailed ledger of Arthur V. William Jr.'s monthly expenses from 1956 to 1959. The collection also includes a small number of genealogical files, awards, and U.S. Army documents regarding Arthur V. Williams Jr.'s service.
Collection Arrangement
| 1. | Writings, 1997-2004, undated |
| 2. | Correspondence, 1882, 1929-2002, undated |
| 3. | Photographs, 1917-1949, undated |
| 4. | Financial Records, 1935-1959, undated |
| 5. | Biographical materials, 1941-2003, undated |
Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person, family, or organization, by topical subject, by place, and by types of material.Names
- Williams, Arthur V., 1919-2007
- Williams, Arthur V., 1878-1951
- Richmond, Zerline Levy Williams, 1898-1999
- Gendelman, Betty Williams, 1921-
- Williams family
- Clemson University--History
Subjects
- Jews--South Carolina--Charleston
- Jewish authors--South Carolina--Charleston
- Autobiography Authorship
- Authors--South Carolina--Charleston
Places
- Charleston (S.C.)--Biography
- Clemson (S.C.)--Biography
Types of Material
- Autobiographies
- Typescripts
- Manuscripts for publication
- Correspondence
- Black-and-white photographs
- Financial records
- Files (document groupings)
- Genealogical tables
- Military records
- Programs (documents)
Related Resources
Related Material
Related materials in Special Collections include an oral history interview with Zerline Levy Williams Richmond, Arthur V. Williams Jr., and Betty Williams Gendelman (Mss 1035-79) and an oral history interview with Arthur V. Williams Jr. and Elza Meyers Alterman (Mss 1035-114).
Detailed Description of the Collection
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1. Writings, 1997-2004, undated
Typescripts and related working files for two memoirs written by Arthur V. Williams Jr., the nephrology textbook, Self-assessment of Current Knowledge in Nephrology, and an unpublished, incomplete memoir regarding his time in medical school.
Tales of Charleston 1930's, 1997-2004, undated
Documents relating to Tales of Charleston 1930s, including correspondence, invoices, publishing agreements, drafts, proofs, and manuscripts.
Typescripts, 1997-1999, undated
Draft typescripts in various stages of production, including copies with handwritten edits and suggested revisions.
An early version of Tales of Charleston 1930s, titled Memories 1920-1930.
Working files, 1998-2004, undated
Documents pertaining to the editing, publishing, promotion, and sales of Tales of Charleston, 1930s, as well as post-publication materials such as reviews and fan mail.
Tales of Clemson 1936-1940, 2000-2002, undated
Manuscript drafts and correspondence related to Arthur V. Williams Jr.'s memoir about his four years at Clemson University, as well as a small amount of related correspondence.
Includes early version of the typescript titled The Four Years Before WW2.
Includes early version of the typescript titled The Four Years Before WW2.
Other, undated
2 . Correspondence, 1882, 1929-2002, undated
Contains family correspondence between Arthur V. Williams Sr. and his wife, Zerline Levy Williams, and their children Arthur V. Williams Jr. and Betty Williams Gendelman. Family correspondence includes discussion of Arthur Jr.'s engagement to Mary Jane Mendelsohn and his career progress, as well as visits between family members, injuries, and Arthur V. Williams Sr.'s health. Also includes business correspondence between Arthur V. Williams Sr.'s insurance policy clients and between New England Mutual and Zerline Williams after Arthur's death, in which she is told she cannot become a licensed employee of the company because she is a woman. Of note is a small amount of correspondence pertaining to Arthur V. Williams Sr.'s work with the Anti-Defamation League during World War II.
3. Photographs, 1917- circa 1970, 1997, undated
Includes photographs of Arthur V. Williams Sr., his wife Zerline Williams, and their two children Arthur V. Williams Jr. and Betty Gendelman. Also includes Zerline's mother, Fanny Kahn Levy (known as "Sweetheart"), Arthur and Betty's cousin Elza Meyers, Mary Williams, and Betty Gendelman as an adult with her two sons, Barry and Paul.
Snapshots of Arthur V. Williams Jr. and several friends during his teenage years.
Includes a photographic reproduction of a yearbook page featuring the Charleston High School Class of 1936, and photographs of the exterior of the Craft School, the Williams family's home on Wentworth Street, Mary Meyers (an African-American servant in the Williams home), Isadore ("Izzy") Blank, and Jack Meyers.
4. Financial Records, 1935-1959, undated
The majority of financial records relate to Arthur V. Williams Sr. and Zerline Levy Williams, including loan applications and agreements, payment schedules, and mortgage documents pertaining to the purchase of the family's home at 11 Rutledge Avenue in Charleston. Also includes contracts and payment agreements for significant repairs and home improvements, tax return forms with yearly income information, insurance policies, and bank balances. A ledger belonging to Arthur V. Williams Jr. contains detailed records of monthly expenses from 1956-1959.
5. Biographical materials, 1931-1947, 1961-2003, undated
Williams's appointment as second lieutenant in the Medical Administration Corps, and a copy of his military record and report of separation.
Includes lists of names and birth dates of ancestors, handwritten notes, and an oral history transcript of an interview with Arthur V. Williams Jr. and Elza Meyers Alterman by Dale Rosengarten and Michael Grossman on February 3, 1997.
Includes the wedding announcement for Arthur V. Williams Jr. and Mary Jane Mendelsohn, articles on New England Mutual, and issues of The Tiger, Clemson's student newspaper.
Awards, events programs, acceptance speeches, and songs and speeches to Zerline Williams in honor of her 100th birthday.
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research.
Copyright Notice
The nature of the College of Charleston's archival holdings means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. Special Collections claims only physical ownership of most archival materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Williams family papers, College of Charleston Libraries, Charleston, SC, USA.
Acquisitions Information
Materials were donated in 2002 by Betty Williams Gendelman, and in 2004, 2007, 2012, and 2013 by Mary Williams Ventola.
Processing Information
Processed by Amy Lazarus, June 2015.
Encoded by Amy Lazarus, July 2015.
Reviewed and uploaded by Joshua Minor, November 2015.
