Remembering Sidney B. Williams Jr.

Sidney B. Williams Jr. (BSChE’61, JD’67), born December 31, 1935, peacefully passed away at the Health Center of Friendship Village in Kalamazoo, Mich., on Sunday, May 5, 2024. (Full obituary)

Williams came to Wisconsin from Little Rock, Arkansas to study engineering. As the first African-American quarterback in the Big Ten, he led the Badgers to a combined 13-4-1 record in the 1957-58 seasons. To learn more about his football career with the Badgers, read his article on UWBadgers.com.

After two years in professional football, he returned to complete his chemical engineering degree. He received the Ivan Williamson Scholastic Award for exemplifying high standards of academic achievement and sportsmanship. He then went on to obtain a law degree from Georgetown before pursuing a career as a patent attorney.

Always a Badger, he continued to stay involved in the UW-Madison community by serving on the Board of Directors of the University of Wisconsin Foundation and the College of Engineering’s Industrial Advisory Board. In 1994, he won the Alumni Association’s distinguished Alumni award. His wife and family continue to sponsor the Sidney and Carolyn Williamson UW chancellor’s scholarship fund.

He’s survived by his devoted wife Carolyn and his sons Martin Sidney Williams (Lisa) and Christopher Daniel Williams (Eriade). He’s also survived by his grandchildren Marley Carolyn Adele and Hunter Sidney.

The whole department is grieved to lose a remarkable man and a fellow CBE graduate. Our thoughts are with the Williams family.

Featured image caption: Sidney B. Williams Jr. (6th from right) and family in front of UW Athletics Hall of Fame plaque. Credit: Wisconsin Athletics.