William J. Williams (1926-2016)
William J. Williams, MD, left a unique stamp on the field of hematology through his exemplary patient care and research. He also wrote "the book" on the field, editing what became for most of the 1970s and 80s one of the two most familiar English-language hematology textbooks. The book, originally called Hematology, remains in wide use along with an expanding group of other excellent texts. To honor his contributions as founding editor, the name of the book was changed to Williams Hematology beginning with the fifth edition.
Dr. Williams had an established history of leadership, serving as dean of the College of Medicine and vice president for Biomedical Sciences at SUNY Upstate Medical University from 2002 to 2004. He was named a Distinguished Service Professor by the State University of New York in 2002 and was an inspiring teacher, grounding students in both the science and art of medicine.