MKMOUI.VL OF GKOIUII'; II. WILLIAMS. 433 



George Huntiniitoii \\'illianLs was born in Utica, Now York, on Janu- 

 ary 28, 1850. He was the eldest son of Robert 8. and Abi«j;ail (Doolittle) 

 Williams, whose ancestry was of the sturdy Puritan type, the great-gran d- 

 I)arents of both liaving emigrated from New England toward the close of 

 the last century. His paternal ancestors were for two generations suc- 

 cessful tanners, and his grandfather was a well-known printer and i)id)- 

 lisher; a })roniinent man of aiVairs and a colonel in the war of 1812. His 

 father is today an intluential man in many of the greater enterprises in 

 the commercial life of his native city. One of his uncles was the emi- 

 nent author and Chinese lexicographer, I)r S. Wells Williams, who by 

 long residence at Pekin, a portion of the time as representative of our 

 Government, attained a ])Osition of distinction and influence, and who, 

 after his return to America, became ])rofessor in Yale University. An- 

 other uncle, the Reverend F. W. Williams, was a luissionary to Syria, 

 and was one of the hrst to make ex})l()rations uj)on the site of ancient 

 Nineveh. 



Surrounded in his youth by the refinements which an educated family 

 life can give, our friend spent his school days in Utica, passing through 

 the various grades of the i)ublic schools, and finally graduating with 

 valedictory honors from the Utica Free Academy. Less robust than 

 many of his fellow-students, he sought his i)leasures more largely than 

 they in reading, for which the well stocked library in his own home gave 

 him exceptional o])portunity. Systematic and conscientious to the last 

 degree in every detail connected with his school life, he then formed 

 habits of mind which characterized his maturer years. In a remarkable 

 degree the boy was father to the man. 



In the autumn of 1874 he entered Amherst College, graduating in the 

 class of 1878. He carried into this new field of study the same system 

 which had cliaracterized his school life, and his classmates recount the 

 scruj)ulous care with which he prepared outlines of every class-book used 

 or course of lectures given, thus readily becoming master of all that the 

 college required. 



Toward the chwe of his college course he came under the tutelage of 

 that exceptional teacher and geologist, Professt)r U. K. JMnerson, who has 

 sent forth so many young men full of enthusiasm for his sul)ject to take 

 it up as their life-work. Such was the result in this instance. The deep 

 interest of the teacher became communicated to the student, and the 

 young man of twenty-two decided to give up his life to geology. He 

 remained much of the year succeeding graduation at Andierst, wliere he 

 continued his studies with Pnjfessor KmersoiL in the spring of 1879 he 

 returned to Utica, and taught science* for a time witii marked success in 

 the academy from which he had graduated live years before. 



