Professor John Williams Appointed as College President

After serving as interim College president for eight months, Professor John W. Williams, JD, was appointed as president of Principia College in July.

A longtime member of the Political Science Department, Williams was the inaugural recipient of the Principia College Horace Edwin Harper Jr. and Evelyn Wright Harper Award for Teaching Excellence in 2013. During his 37 years at the College, Williams has taught American government, law, and comparative politics courses, coached intercollegiate mock trial, moot court, and Model Illinois Government teams, served as pre-law advisor, and held additional teaching assignments in mass communication, global perspectives, and history. He has directed more than a dozen Principia study abroad programs to mainland East Asia and has served as a popular lecturer for the Principia Lifelong Learning and Summer Session programs. Williams was elected as president of the Faculty Senate for two separate terms and has also served two terms as president of the Illinois Political Science Association.

Before joining Principia, Williams worked in the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice and as an attorney in private practice. He earned a juris doctor degree from The George Washington University and is a 1976 graduate of Principia College.
 
In announcing the appointment, Interim Chief Executive Dennis Marunde (C’82) noted Williams’s “principled, calm, compassionate, courageous, and transparent leadership,” adding that “his deep history with the College, clear understanding of the present challenges confronting us, excitement over the opportunities that lie ahead, and absolute commitment to the mission of Principia make him the right choice for this moment.”