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| [{{::bishop_john_williams.jpg?350 |Bishop John Williams, before 1875. Photo credit: [[https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.34505989|Trinity College Archives]]}}] | [{{::bishop_john_williams.jpg?350 |Bishop John Williams, before 1875. Photo credit: [[https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.34505989|Trinity College Archives]]}}] |
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| The young Williams was ordained deacon and later priest by former first president of Washington College, [[brownell_thomas_church|Thomas C. Brownell]]. Between 1837 and 1840, Williams tutored students in Ancient Languages. However, he also served as a back channel, communicating about the "Low Church Party" at Washington College, to the Reverend Jarvis, who had left in 1837 for Middletown, Connecticut, taking his library from Trinity with him. Williams furthered the cause of High Churchmen with his presidency in 1839-1841 of the Associate Alumni of Washington College. He became a member of the [[house_of_convocation|House of Convocation]], which placed Bishop Brownell into the newly-created position of Chancellor of Washington College, as well as President of the [[trustees|Board of Trustees]]. | The young Williams was ordained deacon and later priest by former first president of Washington College, [[brownell_thomas_church|Thomas C. Brownell]]. Between 1837 and 1840, Williams tutored students in Ancient Languages. However, he also served as a back channel, communicating about the "Low Church Party" at Washington College, to the Reverend Jarvis, who had left in 1837 for Middletown, Connecticut, taking his library from Trinity with him. Williams furthered the cause of High Churchmen with his presidency in 1839-1841 of the Associate Alumni of Washington College. He became a member of the [[house_of_convocation|House of Convocation]], which placed Bishop Brownell into the newly-created position of [[chancellor_of_the_college|Chancellor]] of Washington College, as well as President of the [[trustees|Board of Trustees]]. |
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| Williams had been serving for six years as Rector of St. George's Church in Schenectady, New York, at the time of his election as president of Trinity College in 1848. He strongly influenced the College's direction towards the teaching of theology. Theological students soon attended Trinity in greater numbers, which led to the adoption of [[theology_department|a full course of theology]] by the Trinity Board of Trustees in 1851. President Williams even fulfilled the increasingly important role of professor of the Bible and Theology. Publishing several books on biblical topics, by 1851 he was named Hobart Professor of History and Literature. He thought History was a subject that ought to be required for undergraduates at Trinity, though he believed it should be taught "with a constant reference to the Holy Scriptures." | Williams had been serving for six years as Rector of St. George's Church in Schenectady, New York, at the time of his election as president of Trinity College in 1848. He strongly influenced the College's direction towards the teaching of theology. Theological students soon attended Trinity in greater numbers, which led to the adoption of [[theology_department|a full course of theology]] by the Trinity Board of Trustees in 1851. President Williams even fulfilled the increasingly important role of professor of the Bible and Theology. Publishing several books on biblical topics, by 1851 he was named Hobart Professor of History and Literature. He thought History was a subject that ought to be required for undergraduates at Trinity, though he believed it should be taught "with a constant reference to the Holy Scriptures." |
| Bishop Williams remained deeply involved in the administrative affairs of Trinity College. For example, in 1867 he played a crucial role in inviting [[jackson_abner|Reverend Abner Jackson]] to accept the college presidency from a very pliant Board of Trustees. Between Williams' departure as President in 1853 and 1888, the seven men who presided over Trinity College in the position of president would contend with the problem of divided leadership. As historian Glenn Weaver has suggested, the tension in authority was even noticed by Trinity students writing for the literary magazine //[[tablet|The Trinity Tablet]]//, which noted in December 1888 that "the bishop is practically president." Amazingly, even in 1888, that Bishop-Chancellor was still John Williams, former president of the college forty years before (1848-1853). Though the Trustees and the Connecticut legislature changed the legal role of the Chancellor in 1889, Williams retained the titles of Chancellor, as well as Chairman of [[board_of_visitors|Board of Visitors]], until his death in 1899. | Bishop Williams remained deeply involved in the administrative affairs of Trinity College. For example, in 1867 he played a crucial role in inviting [[jackson_abner|Reverend Abner Jackson]] to accept the college presidency from a very pliant Board of Trustees. Between Williams' departure as President in 1853 and 1888, the seven men who presided over Trinity College in the position of president would contend with the problem of divided leadership. As historian Glenn Weaver has suggested, the tension in authority was even noticed by Trinity students writing for the literary magazine //[[tablet|The Trinity Tablet]]//, which noted in December 1888 that "the bishop is practically president." Amazingly, even in 1888, that Bishop-Chancellor was still John Williams, former president of the college forty years before (1848-1853). Though the Trustees and the Connecticut legislature changed the legal role of the Chancellor in 1889, Williams retained the titles of Chancellor, as well as Chairman of [[board_of_visitors|Board of Visitors]], until his death in 1899. |
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| | ===== Preceded By ===== |
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| | [[totten_silas|Silas Totten]] |
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| | ===== Succeeded By ===== |
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| | [[goodwin_daniel_raynes|Daniel Raynes Goodwin]] |
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| ===== Sources ===== | ===== Sources ===== |
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