W. Walter Williams papers, 1949-1958

Born in 1894, Walter Williams was a Seattle mortgage banker. Williams served as Under Secretary of Commerce during the Eisenhower administration, from 1953 to 1958. While he was Under Secretary, Williams led a five-man American trade mission to Japan. The mission visited Japan from March 16 to April 27, 1958, attended the Japan International Trade Fair at Osaka and discussed Japanese marketing and trade problems.

Williams's papers also document some of his other activities while Under Secretary of Commerce. He was an active member of Crusade For Freedom Inc., an anti-communist organization founded in 1950. Its purpose was to combat communism through nation-wide public education and fundraising campaigns to support Radio Free Europe and Free Europe Press. Williams was Federal Campaign Chairman in 1956 for the Crusade. In 1957 and 1958 he chaired the Federal Service Joint Crusade for CARE and Crusade For Freedom. In 1956 and 1957 he served as chair of the Federal Service Overseas Fund Campaign which was a charitable fund-raising campaign within the Federal Service and military overseas.

During the 1950's Walter Williams was a trustee of the Committee for Economic Development. This non-profit, nonpartisan group was composed of leading businessmen and educators, supported by contributions from business and industry and engaged in economic research and educational activities. Its stated purpose was "to help determine through objective research those economic policies that will encourage attainment of high production and employment within the framework of a free society." Williams served as chair of the Committee sometime before 1955 and was a member of the Business-Education Committee.

Walter Williams was chair of Citizens for Eisenhower in 1952, though this activity is not represented in his papers. He played a less active role in the 1956 Eisenhower campaign

Walter Williams died in 1983.