# George F. Williams

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American politician

For the American Civil War soldier and journalist, see [George Forrester Williams](/source/George_Forrester_Williams).

George Fred Williams 5th United States Minister to Montenegro In office May 10, 1914 – September 28, 1914 President Woodrow Wilson Preceded by Jacob Gould Schurman Succeeded by Garrett Droppers United States Minister to Greece In office February 2, 1914 – September 28, 1914 President Woodrow Wilson Preceded by Jacob Gould Schurman Succeeded by Garrett Droppers Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 9th district In office March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893 Preceded by John W. Candler Succeeded by Joseph H. O'Neil Personal details Born July 10, 1852 Dedham, Massachusetts, U.S. Died July 11, 1932 (aged 80) Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S. Party Republican (until 1884) Democratic Education Dartmouth College Boston University

**George Fred Williams** (July 10, 1852 – July 11, 1932) was a [U.S. representative](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives) from [Massachusetts](/source/Massachusetts) and [envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary](/source/Envoy_(title)) to both Greece and Montenegro.

## Early life and career

Born in [Dedham, Massachusetts](/source/Dedham%2C_Massachusetts), Williams attended private schools, graduated from the [Dedham High School](/source/Dedham_High_School) in 1868, and from [Dartmouth College](/source/Dartmouth_College) in 1872. His parents were Captain and Henrietta ([née](/source/Birth_name#Maiden_and_married_names) Rice) Williams.[1] His mother was a Sunday School teacher at the [Allin Congregational Church](/source/Allin_Congregational_Church).[1] He studied at the Universities of Heidelberg and Berlin. He also studied law at [Boston University](/source/Boston_University), [Boston, Massachusetts](/source/Boston%2C_Massachusetts).

He taught school in [West Brewster, Massachusetts](/source/Brewster%2C_Massachusetts) in 1872 and 1873. He was also a reporter for the *Boston Globe*. He was [admitted to the bar](/source/Admission_to_the_bar_in_the_United_States) in 1875 and practiced in Boston. He edited Williams' *Citations of Massachusetts Cases* in 1878 and volumes 10 to 17 of the Annual Digest of the United States 1880 to 1887.

## Public life

Initially a Republican, Williams bolted the party in the [Mugwump](/source/Mugwump) revolt of 1884, and eventually joined the [Democratic Party](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)). He served as member of the [Dedham School Committee](/source/Dedham_Public_Schools) before being elected to the [Massachusetts House of Representatives](/source/Massachusetts_House_of_Representatives) in 1890. Williams was elected to the [Fifty-second](/source/52nd_United_States_Congress) Congress (March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893) but lost a bid for reelection in 1892 to the [Fifty-third](/source/53rd_United_States_Congress) Congress.

He resumed the practice of law in [Boston, Massachusetts](/source/Boston%2C_Massachusetts) and was an unsuccessful Democratic nominee for governor in 1895, 1896, and 1897. He served as delegate to several state Democratic conventions and to the Democratic National Conventions in 1896, 1900, 1904 and 1908. In the 1896 convention, he bucked the state party establishment by abandoning the gold plank supported by the rest of the delegation, and supported [William Jennings Bryan](/source/William_Jennings_Bryan) for president. This action did tremendous damage to his future elective prospects within the party.

Williams was appointed Minister to Greece and [Montenegro](/source/Montenegro) by President [Woodrow Wilson](/source/Woodrow_Wilson), serving in 1914. He resigned this position after a visit to [Albania](/source/Albania) witnessing the tragic Albanian civilians being murdered and left to die of hunger by the current regime.[2]

## Later life

He resumed the practice of law until his retirement in 1930 and died in [Brookline](/source/Brookline%2C_Massachusetts), near Boston, July 11, 1932. He was interred in Dedham's Old Village Cemetery.

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEClarke190317_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEClarke190317_1-1) [Clarke 1903](#CITEREFClarke1903), p. 17.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Williams vs William"](https://archive.org/stream/independen79v80newy#page/n18/mode/1up). *The Independent*. Jul 6, 1914. Retrieved July 28, 2012.

### Works cited

- Clarke, Wm. Horatio (1903). *Mid-Century Memories of Dedham*. [Dedham Historical Society](/source/Dedham_Historical_Society).{{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_location_missing_publisher))

- United States Congress. ["George F. Williams (id: W000497)"](http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=W000497). *[Biographical Directory of the United States Congress](/source/Biographical_Directory_of_the_United_States_Congress)*.

## External links

- [politicalgraveyard.com](http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/williams4.html)

- [picturehistory.com](https://web.archive.org/web/20070310191326/http://www.picturehistory.com/find/p/6532/mcms.html)

Party political offices Preceded by John E. Russell Democratic nominee for Governor of Massachusetts 1895, 1896, 1897 Succeeded by Alexander B. Bruce U.S. House of Representatives Preceded by John W. Candler Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 9th congressional district March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893 Succeeded by Joseph H. O'Neil Diplomatic posts Preceded by Jacob Gould Schurman United States Minister to Greece 1914 Succeeded by Garrett Droppers Preceded by Jacob Gould Schurman United States Minister to Montenegro 1914 Succeeded by Garrett Droppers

This article incorporates [public domain material](/source/Copyright_status_of_works_by_the_federal_government_of_the_United_States) from [*Biographical Directory of the United States Congress*](http://bioguide.congress.gov). [Federal government of the United States](/source/Federal_government_of_the_United_States).

v t e United States ambassadors to Greece Kingdom of Greece (1868–1924) Tuckerman J. Francis Read Schuyler Fearn Snowden Beale Alexander Rockhill Hardy C. Francis Jackson Pearson Moses Schurman Williams Droppers Capps Second Hellenic Republic Laughlin Skinner MacVeagh Kingdom of Greece (1935–1973) Military junta (1967–1974) MacVeagh Biddle Kirk MacVeagh Grady Peurifoy Cannon Allen Riddleberger Briggs Labouisse Talbot Tasca Junta-declared Republic (1973–1974) Third Hellenic Republic (1974–present) Tasca Kubisch McCloskey Stearns Keeley Sotirhos Niles Burns Miller Ries Speckhard Smith Pearce Pyatt Tsunis Guilfoyle

v t e United States representatives from Massachusetts 1st district F. Ames Dexter Goodhue Holten Sedgwick Skinner Sedgwick J. Bacon Eustis Quincy Ward Jr. Mason Gorham Webster Gorham N. Appleton Gorham A. Lawrence Fletcher A. Lawrence Winthrop N. Appleton Winthrop S. Eliot W. Appleton Scudder T. D. Eliot Hall T. D. Eliot Buffington Crapo R. Davis Randall Wright G. Lawrence Treadway Heselton Conte Olver Neal 2nd district Goodhue Foster W. Lyman Sedgwick Ward Sr. W. Lyman Shepard J. Crowninshield Story Pickman W. Reed Pickering Silsbee Barstow B. Crowninshield Choate Phillips Saltonstall D. King Rantoul Fay Crocker Buffington O. Ames Harris Long E. Morse Gillett Churchill Bowles Kaynor Granfield Clason Furcolo Boland Neal McGovern 3rd district Gerry Bourne Coffin S. Lyman Mattoon Cutler Nelson Livermore White Pickering Nelson Varnum Nelson Osgood Cushing A. Abbott Duncan Edmands Damrell C. Adams Thomas A. Rice Twichell Whiting I Pierce Field B. Dean Field Ranney L. Morse J. Andrew Walker J. R. Thayer R. Hoar C. Washburn J. A. Thayer Wilder Paige F. Foss Casey Philbin Drinan Donohue Early Blute McGovern N. Tsongas Trahan 4th district Sedgwick Dearborn G. Thatcher Wadsworth Foster L. Lincoln Sr. Hastings Varnum W. Richardson Dana Stearns Fuller E. Everett Sa. Hoar Parmenter Thompson Palfrey Thompson Sabine Walley Comins A. Rice Hooper Frost J. Abbott L. Morse Collins O'Neil Apsley Weymouth Tirrell Mitchell Wilder Winslow Stobbs P. Holmes Donohue Drinan Frank Kennedy III Auchincloss 5th district Partridge Bourne Freeman L. Williams T. Dwight Ely Mills Lathrop Sibley J. Davis L. Lincoln Jr. Hudson C. Allen W. Appleton Burlingame W. Appleton Hooper Alley Butler Gooch Banks Bowman L. Morse Hayden Banks Sh. Hoar Stevens Knox B. Ames J. Rogers E. Rogers B. Morse Cronin P. Tsongas Shannon Atkins Meehan N. Tsongas Markey Clark 6th district G. Thatcher Leonard J. Reed Sr. J. Smith Taggart S. Allen Locke Kendall Grennell Alvord Baker Ashmun G. Davis Upham T. Davis Alley Gooch Banks Butler Thompson Loring Stone Lovering Lodge Cogswell Moody Gardner Lufkin A.P. Andrew G. Bates W. Bates Harrington Mavroules Torkildsen Tierney Moulton 7th district Leonard Ward Sr. Leonard Bullock Bishop Mitchell Barker Baylies Turner Baylies Hulbert Shaw H. Dwight S. Allen Grennell Briggs J. Rockwell Goodrich Banks Gooch Boutwell Brooks Esty E. Hoar Tarbox Butler W. Russell Stone Cogswell W. Everett Barrett Roberts Phelan Maloney W. Connery L. Connery Lane Macdonald Markey Capuano Pressley 8th district Grout G. Thatcher F. Ames Otis Eustis L. Williams Green Gardner Green J. Reed Jr. Baylies Sampson Hobart Lathrop Bates Calhoun J. Adams Mann Wentworth Knapp Train Baldwin G. Hoar J. M. S. Williams Warren Claflin Candler W Russell C. H. Allen Greenhalge Stevens McCall Deitrick Dallinger H. Thayer Dallinger Healey Goodwin Macdonald O'Neill Kennedy II Capuano Lynch 9th district Varnum Bishop J. Dean Wheaton J. Reed Jr. Folger J. Reed Jr. H. Dwight Briggs Jackson Hastings H. Williams Hale Fowler Little De Witt E. Thayer Bailey A. Walker W. Washburn Crocker G. Hoar W. Rice T. Lyman Ely Burnett Candler G. Williams O'Neil Fitzgerald Conry Keliher Murray Roberts Fuller Underhill Luce R. Russell Luce T. H. Eliot Gifford Nicholson Keith McCormack Hicks Moakley Lynch Keating 10th district Goodhue Sewall Read Hastings Upham J. Allen Brigham Wheaton Morton F Baylies Bailey H. A. S. Dearborn W. Baylies Borden H. Williams Borden Burnell Grinnell Scudder Dickinson Chaffee Delano Dawes Crocker Stevens Seelye Norcross W. Rice J. E. Russell J. Walker McEttrick Atwood Barrows Naphen McNary O'Connell Curley Murray Tague Fitzgerald Tague Douglass Tinkham Herter Curtis Martin Heckler Studds Delahunt Keating 11th district Bradbury Bartlett Cutler Stedman A. Bigelow Brigham B. Adams J. Russell Hobart J. Richardson J. Adams J. Reed Jr. Burnell Goodrich Trafton Dawes Chapin Robinson Whiting II Wallace Coolidge Draper Sprague Powers Sullivan Peters Tinkham Douglass Higgins Flaherty Curley Kennedy O'Neill Burke Donnelly 12th district H. Dearborn I. Parker Lee S. Thatcher Skinner Larned Bidwell Bacon Dewey Hulbert Strong Kendall L. Bigelow Baylies Hodges J. Adams Robinson F. Rockwell Crosby E. Morse Lovering Powers Weeks Curley Gallivan McCormack Keith Studds 13th district Wadsworth Seaver Ruggles Dowse Eustis J. Reed Jr. Randall Simpkins Greene Weeks Mitchell Carter Luce Wigglesworth Burke 14th district G. Thatcher Cutts C. King J. Holmes Lovering E. Foss Harris Gilmore Olney Frothingham Wigglesworth Martin 15th district Wadsworth Ilsley Whitman Widgery Bradbury Whitman Greene Leach Martin Gifford 16th district S. Thatcher Cook Tallman S. Davis Brown Orr Hill Thacher Walsh Gifford 17th district Bruce Chandler Gannett F. Carr Wood J. Carr Wilson Kinsley 18th district Wilson T. Rice J. Parker 19th district J. Parker Conner Gage Cushman 20th district Hubbard Parris E. Lincoln At-large Cobb

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF FAST WorldCat National United States People US Congress Other Open Library SNAC Yale LUX

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [George F. Williams](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_F._Williams) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_F._Williams?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.