Ted Wilson remembers the way J.D. Williams delighted in teaching all of his students to become politically engaged — even Karl Rove.
When Williams spoke of Rove, the former chief strategist for President George Bush, he would often say he taught Rove about politics, then he would get a glint in his eye and say, “but not his ethics.”
“J.D., above all things, wanted us to get involved in politics,” said Wilson, a former mayor of Salt Lake City and past director of the U’s Hinckley Institute of Politics.
Wilson joined family members and colleagues of Williams at a memorial service on Saturday to remember Williams’ life and contributions to the U. Hundreds of people, many of them local political leaders, filled the seats of Kingsbury Hall to honor Williams, who taught political science at the U for nearly 40 years.
Williams died on Sept. 4 at age 81 after battling cancer for years. He served as the founding director of the Hinckley Institute and unsuccessfully ran for political office, including the U.S. Senate, several times as a Democrat.
Colleagues said Williams was known for his random acts of kindness. Wilson said at dinners, Williams would often pick a random table and tell the waitress to send them ice cream sundaes but not to tell them whom they were from.
Sharlene Linford, a former student and longtime tennis partner of Williams, thanked his wife Barbara Williams, or “Bea” as he called her, and
other family members for letting him be a personal mentor to so many people.
“We’re better human beings and individuals because you were willing to share him,” Linford said.
During the first semester of her freshman year in 1968, Linford said Williams inspired her when he lectured the class about “falling in love with ideas.” She said he came to know everyone in his classes by name and remembered most of them for years after.
Williams was also remembered for his love of the U.S. Constitution and concern over the current state of the country.
His nephew, Brooke Williams, reminisced about Friday lunches with Williams where, he said, his uncle would sometimes quote Thomas Jefferson and the Constitution with tears in his eyes.
Williams received an undergraduate degree in political science from Stanford University, a Master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University and a doctoral degree in political economy, also from Harvard.
U President Michael Young said Williams made “legendary” contributions to the university. Young structured his memories around the words of the “Utah Man” song.
“I think if there ever were a Utah man, it was J.D. Williams,” Young said.