John Davis Williams

John Davis Williams (December 25, 1902 – May 29, 1983) was an American university administrator who served as the Chancellor of the University of Mississippi and President of Marshall College. He served as chancellor from 1946 to 1968.

Biography He was born in Campbell County, Kentucky, in 1902.

Amenable toward multiculturalism while at Marshall College, Williams conformed to the segregationist agenda then prevailing among Ole Miss trustees upon his appointment; among the African-Americans barred from admission in subsequent years was Medgar Evers. He privately felt that these policies conflicted with his Methodist background and was the only head of a Mississippi university at the time to publicly question segregation. He was named chair of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges in 1955.

The most significant milestone of Williams' tenure at Ole Miss was the September 30, 1962, admission of James Meredith, an African-American student, following a court ruling. Williams kept the university open during the ensuing unrest, and helped facilitate the arrival of African-American students on campus subsequently.