Harry Williams | In Memoriam

March 11, 1930 – September 23, 2015

Harvey Mudd College engineering Professor Emeritus Harry E. Williams Jr. passed away suddenly at Pomona Valley Hospital on Sept. 23 from complications following a stroke.

Williams joined Harvey Mudd in 1960 as a professor of physics, pending an opening in the Department of Engineering. A year later, he moved to engineering where, for the next 40 years, he taught courses from fluid and solid mechanics to thermodynamics and more, helping to build the department from its infancy.

In addition to his teaching he also worked as a consultant and researcher for the United States Navy, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, General Dynamics, Aerojet and Boeing. His research interests included structural mechanics, thermo-elasticity, vibration of cylindrical shells, and the motion of quartz crystal resonators and related mathematical techniques. Williams was a regular contributor to top journals in applied mechanics and published numerous articles.

For his many years of distinguished teaching and service to the College, Williams was named an Honorary Alumnus in 1999. The Harry E. Williams Mechanics Prize, established in his honor, recognizes a senior engineering major for his or her proficiency in and enthusiasm for the application of mechanics in engineering problems.

“Needless to say, (Harry’s) faculty colleagues and generations of students have benefited greatly from his insistence on and example of excellence,” said longtime colleague John Molinder, emeritus professor of engineering.

Born in Pasadena, California, on March 11, 1930, Williams attended Cathedral High School in Los Angeles before receiving a degree in mathematical engineering from Santa Clara University in 1951. From there, he went on to the California Institute of Technology, where he earned his master’s of science (1952) and PhD (1956) in engineering.

He met Jane Helen Johnson, the love of his life, at Caltech, and they were married in Pasadena in 1955. In 1956, Williams received a prestigious Fulbright Fellowship, and he and Jane spent a year at the University of Manchester, England, where they lived until 1957. Williams fell in love with England and returned many times during his life, including two years spent there with his family on sabbatical.

Williams retired in 2000 but remained an active part of the Harvey Mudd community as a professor emeritus, maintaining an office and continuing to publish collaborative works.

“Harry was a true scholar and never stopped pursuing things that interested him,” said his family in a written statement. “He loved his life at Harvey Mudd College, brainstorming with his colleagues and enjoying riding his bicycle there every day to have lunch and a swim with his friends until the very end.”

Williams is survived by his daughters Robin Williams and husband Christopher Rooke; Kim Williams Littlefield and husband Les Littlefield; Bryn Williams Caisse and husband Eric Caisse; Devon Williams Bishop’s husband John Bishop; and granddaughters Austyn Elizabeth Caisse, Hannah Jane Caisse, Hayden Kathryn Rooke, Fiona Rose Bishop and Ivy Elizabeth Bishop.

Williams’ family will hold a memorial service in Balch Hall at Scripps College on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 11 a.m. On Monday, Oct. 26, at 4 p.m., the Harvey Mudd College Department of Engineering and Office of the Dean of the Faculty will hold a memorial event in Hixon Court.

Memories of Harry Williams

Mike van Driel '91

Student

I just heard this news, breaks my heart – it brings a smile to my face when I think about the time we spent talking not just about fluid mechanics and how a then emerging field of CFD could be applied to blood and the human body, but sports as well. He was a big fan of the NFL, my thoughts went to him immediately when I heard the Rams are coming home. I will miss him dearly, no one ever put the mathematics behind the physics of fluids and thier usefulness in mechanical applications so elegantly and clearly. His balance between theory and pratice is the hallmark of what we all get from Mudd, and I am proud to say I benefited from his teachings immeasureably for this reason. My dearest heart-felt condolances to his family.

Bob Blackman '89

Fellow committee member.

I sat with Prof. Williams on the Disciplinary Board in 1986-7. He had an unwavering sense of what honorable conduct was and expected HMC’s students to behave well in all circumstances. I learned a great deal from him about what to expect from others and how to behave when I was called up on to judge my peers.

Lauren Render Cobb '88

Student & Friend

A handful of years ago now, as I walked across the street from dropping my children at their elementary school another mother called out to me, “Did you attend there?” with a nod towards me. Initially confused I realized I was wearing a Harvey Mudd t-shirt, so I replied that I had. We fell into conversation and realized that her father had been my structural engineering professor, Harry Williams. She was Devon Bishop. Through her I had the pleasure of becoming re-acquainted with Harry as we both waited on Wednesdays, me to pick up my children and he his lovely, vibrant grand-daughters. I enjoyed our conversations; he never failed to recall where we left off and to inquire further and he shared of his pursuits freely. To know him as a friend these past few years has been a gift and I am grateful for the serendipitous time with him.

Mack Gilkeson

Colleague

Interview of H.E. Williams by MMG on Jan. 8, 1993

In 1958, Harry Williams was working at JPL, going to school (CalTech Ph.D. program), and trying to find a job. He took a (part¬time) extension-program position with UCLA, teaching a night course on fluid dynamics at a Van Nuys site. During this time he wrote a letter of inquiry to U.C.¬San Diego which was just getting underway. For months he did not receive a reply. Finally he received a response which started, “In answer to your letter of ten months ago, . . . “. Harry thought it best to look elsewhere!

Harry wrote to the University of Washington and to U.C.¬Santa Barbara. One day, while looking in the real estate section of the L.A. Times, he saw a picture of a proposed building to be constructed at this new place (in Claremont). There was also a story in the newspaper about Al Focke who was leaving the navy in San Diego, from NEL (Navy Electronics Lab), and was going to Harvey Mudd College.

Harry wrote to Al Focke and received an instant response. Harry came out to Claremont and talked to Joe Platt. Joe said that HMC hadn’t yet hired an engineering chair, but that when they did, Joe would put Harry’s name into the hopper. When the first Chairman, Warren Wilson arrive, he informed Harry Williams that “he wanted an older guy.” So Harry went back to JPL colleague, Jack Alford, and told him, “You’ve been talking about going into teaching, here’s your chance to put up or shut up!” Jack acted!

A couple of years later, in 1960, when the Physics Dept. at HMC need to fill a slot, Al Focke called Harry and offered him the job. Then, in 1961, when the engineers needed to fill a position, Harry switched over. He could have stayed in the physics slot, because Al Focke had the philosophy, at variance with that of Warren Wilson!, that—physics or engineering background—it made no difference, either could do engineering. But Harry wanted to put his hat in the engineering ring, so he made the move.

At that time in mid¬1961 other engineering slots were being opened up. Harry called Sedat Serdengecti, a former classmate at CalTech. Harry told Sedat that he knew of Sedat’s interest in systems analysis and that HMC Chair Warren Wilson was planning to introduce systems analysis into the curriculum, so Sedat should phone Warren. Sedat was also hired that year, Fall¬1961.

Several years later, Harry was walking around CalTech one day and met a friend who was on the CalTech electrical engineering faculty. The latter told Harry that he had a graduate student who was looking for a teaching position and wondered if there were any openings Harry knew of. Harry directed him to HMC which led to the hiring of John Molinder (in 1970).

Harry Williams first memories of the Clinic come from his assignment by Jack Alford to a committee to oversee a project on design of a fountain as part of the LIBRA project (so must have been about 1971, maybe 1970). The student team included Randy Hanveldt. Project was a bit idiotic; was treated by the students as “make work.” Students drove around the County photographing fountains. Harry Williams tried to introduce engineering principles into the project. He advised the students to calculate water flows, horsepower, distances water streams would squirt. The project lacked an outside client and was not a success.

Another project, maybe 1970 or 1969, involved student Walt Foley, then a senior (who was doing some consulting in Greenland in parallel). The client-sponsor was Phil Wessels, a consulting engineer and part¬time HMC prof. The project goal was to design a switching mechanism. The project was a sensible one; the team could see the results of their work and interact with the client.

Harry was not present at the faculty seminar called the Green Room Massacre. He probably was not on sabbatical—just not wanting to sit through what probably was going to be an acrimonious meeting. Bob James was a leader of the opposition and might be able to recall the date and details of the meeting.

Harry Williams recalls two issues which caused much tension.

1. Could/should we accept funds from Ford Foundation for this purpose (Clinic development)?

2. Can faculty receive pay for project work done in place of the traditional one-day per week off-campus consulting work?

In summing up, Harry believes the Clinic became a success when we hit on real projects with student teams working for real clients. In the early days it was “like pulling teeth” to get good projects. Early funded projects, e.g. one done for Santa Fe International as client, were obtained through HMC trustee contacts.

Kirk Norenberg '81