Shelton Williams

Shelton Williams, a native of Odessa, Texas, is Professor of Political Science and International Studies at Austin College in Sherman, Texas. He is also the Director of the Osgood Center for International Studies in Washington, D.C. Williams is a specialist in issues relating to nuclear proliferation. He has served as an advisor to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and also as a special assistant to Madeleine Albright.

Early life

Williams grew up in Odessa, Texas where he was educated in the public schools of that city. He played on the championship football squads at Odessa Permian High school, teams that were later the subject of both a book and a motion picture entitled Friday Night Lights. He attended the University of Texas at Austin from 1962 until 1966, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. degree and Honors in Government.

As a student at the University of Texas at Austin, he found himself caught up as a potential target during the tower shootings perpetrated by Charles Whitman on August 1, 1966. Williams, who was walking along Guadalupe Street near the tower building as the shootings began, personally saved several individuals from harm by his quick actions. His experiences that day later became the subject of an article in the "Texas Monthly" magazine and in a book about the shootings.

After graduating from the University of Texas, Williams attended what is now the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University, located in Washington, D.C. He received a Ph.D. from SAIS in 1971. During those years, he also published his first book in 1969 with the Johns Hopkins University Press, "The United States, India, and the Bomb".

Academic career

Williams joined the faculty at Austin College in 1970, serving in the ensuing years as Dean of Social Sciences, Director of the College Honor Program, and Director of the Posey Leadership Institute. He also continued to publish on his specialty with the appearance of his book "Nonproliferation in International Politics" (1972).

During the Administration of Jimmy Carter, Williams served for two years (1976 to 1978) in Washington, D.C. as a special consultant to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on matters relating to international proliferation. Williams returned to Federal service again during the Bill Clinton Administration when he served as special advisor to Madeleine Albright, dealing especially with United States representation at the United Nations on nuclear proliferation

Model United Nations

Williams has been a supporter of the Model United Nations program for over thirty-five years. The program provides international simulation experiences for college students through regional, national, and international conferences that teach multilateral diplomatic skills. He has served as mentor for dozens of Model United Nations delegations from several schools, including Austin College and Alma College He serves on the Board of Directors of the Model United Nations organization.

"Washed in the Blood"

Williams was profoundly affected as a young man by the cold-blooded murder of his cousin Betty Williams in 1961, an event much publicized at the time throughout the Southwestern United States and popularly known as the “Kiss and Kill Murder.” He devoted years of study to the facts of his cousin’s killing and the court trial of her alleged murderer, writing a true crime book about the affair entitled "Washed in the Blood". This book made Williams the subject of magazine and newspaper articles across the southwestern United States. It also motivated him to write a second true crime book dealing with Charles Whitman.

Since publication of Washed in the Blood, actress Moira Kelly has shown interest in developing the novel into a screenplay, tentatively planning to begin filming in the summer of 2008.

The Osgood Center for International Studies

In addition to his academic appointment at Austin College, Williams also serves as the founding Director of the Osgood Center for International Studies. This organization, based in Washington, D.C, provides internship opportunities, study experiences, simulation opportunities, and special seminars for college and university students from a variety of countries and backgrounds. The center honors the contributions of the late Robert Osgood, the third Dean of the School of Advanced International Studies, who was a respected authority on international relations and former member of the United States National Security Council

External links

*worldcat id|lccn-no2004-70