Finding aid for the Whiting Williams Papers, Series II

Biography of Whiting Williams

(Charles) Whiting Williams was born on March 11, 1878, in Shelby, Ohio. His father, Benjamin J. Williams, was a co-founder of the First national Bank of Shelby, of Shelby Seamless, Inc. (the first American producer of seamless steel tubing), and of the Shelby Waterworks. His mother, Ida Whiting, was known for her skills as a painter of china and as a musician.

Charles Whiting Williams graduated from Oberlin College in the class of 1899. He continued his education at the University of Berlin for a year and then studied for the ministry at the University of Chicago. Deciding that there was too much business in religion and too little religion in business, Williams took a position as manager of the University Travel Bureau. He held this job until 1904 when, during a trip to Europe, he wrote a letter to the President of Oberlin College, Henry c. King, suggesting that a college president needed a full time assistant to look after the less academic problems facing a school, such as fundraising. He received his answer by return mail and, in November 1904, was appointed assistant to the President, a post he held until 1912. During this period, he met and married his first wife, Caroline Harter.

In 1912 Williams was asked to come to Cleveland, Ohio, to help found the Cleveland Federation for Charity and Philanthropy. This organization was based on the premise that the competition of charitable organizations with each other for contributions was detrimental to their best interests. Therefore, it was proposed that a single organization carry out one massive fund drive and distribute the contributions to the different charitable groups in the city. The Federation was the first such attempt in the nation and paved the way for what are known as Community Chest, United Fund, and United Way. In 1917, the organization became known as the Welfare Federation of Cleveland and Williams became its first executive secretary.

In 1916, Williams became a special representative for the Equitable Life Assurance Society; his job was the promotion and sale of group insurance, which was a concept just then being introduced. At this time he grew concerned that too many men shared the name, Charles W. Williams. Fearing that people might not be able to distinguish him among so many, he had his name legally changed to Whiting Williams in June 1917. In 1918 Williams first entered the industrial world with which he was to concern himself for the remainder of his long life and became Director of Personnel for the Cleveland Hydraulic Steel Company.

When his employers suggested, after some labor troubles, that he should investigate the problems concerning the workers, Williams embarked upon a nationwide undercover investigation. Disguising himself as Charlie Heitman, common laborer, he traveled around the United States working in coal mines, steel mills, and the railroads. Williams soon resigned his position with Hydraulic Steel to become a consultant and writer on labor issues. Basing his opinion s on actual experience, Williams compiled an impressive list of clients and published works. These clients included General Motors, Western Electric, B. F. Goodrich, the Baltimore and Ohio Railway, and many others. Williams also traveled extensively in Europe, once again disguising himself and working in the mines and mills, and also in Latin America, where he examined conditions as they concerned oil companies. He continually strove to gain an understanding of the needs and desires of the working class since it was his guiding principle that labor and management, far from being enemies, cooperated in the performance of their work. He did a great deal of investigation into the functioning of unions, including working as a strikebreaker in the railroad strike of 1922.

In 1931 Williams abandoned his approach of working for a single company or client and began sending reports on labor conditions to a number of industrialists as a news service. These reports often focused on the ways in which management could placate industrial unrest and avert crises. In the following years, Williams argued for an increased emphasis on individualism and consistently and vigorously opposed the New Deal and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). Simultaneously, he became a nationally known and respected lecturer, addressing groups ranging from the local Rotary to business conferences and graduate business schools. Williams also continued to write numerous articles. An impressively active man, he continued to work into the late 1960s when he was well into his ninth decade.

In his personal life, Williams faced two major tragedies. In 1932 his daughter, Carol, a talented musician, was killed in a mysterious explosion in Cleveland Heights. In 1938 his wife, Caroline, died. Williams found strength in his son, Harter, and married Dorothy Rogers in September 1941.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Whiting Williams

Scope and Content

The Whiting Williams Papers, Series II, 1899-1975 and undated, consist of correspondence, autobiographical essays, magazine articles he authored, newspaper clippings, some items relating to his daughter Caroline, a family genealogy, and a will.

This is useful because of the published articles reveal Williams's attitudes about unions, management philosophy, and social psychology, while the correspondence reveals the personal side of Williams.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

None.

The researcher should also consult MS 3580 Whiting Williams Papers; and MS 3788 Federation for Community Planning Records.

All photographs have been removed to the photograph and print collection.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4261 Whiting Williams Papers, Series II, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

The State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1982; and Harter Williams, 1983.

Processing Information

Processed by Daniel J. Linke in 1988.

Detailed Description of The Collection