Biography

Civil engineer from Kenilworth in Western Cape, South Africa who retired in 1947 to Hermanus. He joined the Hermanus Botanical Society (1959) and for his dedication to the society, was elected Honorary Life President. Williams turned to professional botany in 1962 at the age of 50, later commenting that it was something that he wished he'd done earlier. His research on Proteaceae took him to herbaria in Europe and he later reminisced "there is nothing more lovely than sitting in ancient herbariums studying plants dried and pressed hundreds of years ago". He succesfully defended his doctoral thesis A revision of the Genus Leucadendron at the University of Cape Town (1972) and was awarded the Harry Bolus Medal for his outstanding contribution to botanical research (1973). His wife Sheila accompanied him on many fields trips and her original material is segregated in the S.L. Williams Herbarium at the Fernkloof Herbarium, a private herbarium established earlier by I.J.M. Williams. Active in conservation issues, he was the founder and owner of Vogelgat Nature Reserve; he was also instrumental in establishing the Old Harbour Museum. In 1997 he was awarded honorary freemanship of Hermanus.