Harold M. Williams
Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission
About Harold M. Williams
Lived 1928 – 2017 (aged 89). Harold M. Williams was an American politician, university teacher and executive.
Harold Marvin Williams (January 5, 1928 - July 30, 2017) served as chairman of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission between 1977 and 1981. Williams was engaged in extensive public service and support of arts and education.
UCLA When Williams returned to UCLA as the dean of the Graduate School of Management in 1970, it had a number of renowned faculty but yet did not enjoy a reputation as a top business school. During Williams's tenure that lasted until 1977, the GSM became the only public university business school ranked in the top ten in the US.
J. Paul Getty Trust Williams became president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the J. Paul Getty Museum in 1981. When the J. Paul Getty Trust was established in 1983, Williams also became the first president and CEO of the Trust. During his tenure from 1981 to 1998, his major accomplishment was "presid[ing] over the planning and construction of the Getty Center", and expanding the center's scope to include art research, education, and preservation. By the time Williams announced his retirement in 1996, the Trust's endowment had risen from $1.2 billion to almost $4 billion.
Milestones B.A., University of California, Los Angeles, 1946 J.D., Harvard University, 1949 President, Hunt Foods and Industries (1968–1969) and Hunt-Wesson Foods, Inc. (1962–1968) Chairman of the Board, Norton Simon (1969–1970) Dean and Professor, Graduate School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles (1970–1977) Co-Chairman, Public Commission on Los Angeles County Government (1974–1977) Chairman, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (1977–1981) Member, Board of Regents, University of California (1982–1994) President of the J. Paul Getty Trust (1981–1998). In charge of the creation of the Getty Center in Los Angeles Member, President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities (appointed by President Clinton) (1993–Present) Director, The California Endowment (1996–Present); Los Angeles Annenberg Metropolitan Public Policy Institute of California (1994–Present) Co-Chair, California Citizens Commission on Higher Education (1996–Present) Chair, Committee for Effective School Governance (1998–Present)
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Important facts
People in Harold M. Williams's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Harold M. Williams's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Harold M. Williams?
Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (1928–2017)
When was Harold M. Williams born?
Harold M. Williams was born on 5 January 1928 in Philadelphia.
When did Harold M. Williams die?
Harold M. Williams died on 30 July 2017.
What was Harold M. Williams's occupation?
Harold M. Williams was a politician, university teacher and executive.
What nationality was Harold M. Williams?
Harold M. Williams was American.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Harold M. Williams
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Harold M. Williams. https://biography.guide/harold-m-williams/
MLA: "Harold M. Williams." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/harold-m-williams/.
Chicago: "Harold M. Williams." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/harold-m-williams/.
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