Williams, Roy D. (1881-1972), Papers, 1853-1972 (C3769)

2 linear feet

INTRODUCTION

Papers of Judge Roy D. Williams of Boonville, Missouri, containing speeches (primarily on local and regional history), historical notes, clippings, correspondence, photographs, and miscellany.

DONOR INFORMATION

The Roy D. Williams Papers were donated to the State Historical Society of Missouri on 8 October 1979 by Paula Schumacher, Kenneth W. Simons II, and Mitchell Roy Simons (SHS Accession No. 2278). An addition was made to the papers on 7 February 1983 by Paula Schumacher (SHS Accession No. 2465).

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Roy D. Williams was born in Boonville, Missouri, on 1 January 1881, the son of William Muir and Jessie Evans Williams. He attended Kemper Military School in Boonville and the University of Missouri in Columbia. While at the latter he was a member of Sigma Nu, Delta Theta Phi, and Theta Nu Epsilon. Although Williams did not attend law school, he learned law in the office of his father. Williams was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 1906 and engaged in private practice in Boonville.

Williams was appointed to many important positions. He was chairman of the state's first Tax Commission, commissioner on the Kansas City Court of Appeals, special assistant to the attorney general of the United States, assistant to the district attorney of the Western District of Missouri, hearing officer for conscientious objectors, and board member of the Confederate Home in Higginsville.

Williams served on the Boonville school board, was an honorary trustee of Kemper Military School, and was appointed an honorary colonel on the staffs of three Missouri governors--Smith, Blair, and Dalton.

He was a member of the Missouri Academy of Squires, president of the State Historical Society of Missouri, and one of the organizers of the Boonslick Historical Society. He was past master of the Masons of Cooper Lodge and Ararat Shrine and a member of the Kiwanis Club.

After a long successful life, Roy D. Williams died in 1972 in Boonville.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The Williams Papers are arranged into five sections: Speeches; Historical Figures; Missouri Places; Church Histories, Speeches, and Historical Notes; and Miscellaneous.

The Speeches were given by Williams to various civic and patriotic organizations and are arranged alphabetically by organizational name. Commencement addresses and memorial speeches are included as well. The papers include correspondence, notes, clippings, speeches, photographs, and miscellany on Historical Figures. This section is arranged alphabetically by surname.

The Missouri Places section consists of correspondence, notes, speeches, pamphlets, and clippings, arranged alphabetically by place name. Church histories, speeches, and historical notes on religious figures, religion, and cemeteries make up that section.

The Miscellaneous section contains correspondence; clippings; photographs; material on the Civil War, dueling, and politics; as well as two ledgers.

FOLDER LIST

Speeches

f. 1American Legion
f. 2Association of Postmasters
f. 3-4Bankers Association
f. 5Boy Scouts
f. 6Central Missouri Real Estate Association
f. 7-10Commencement
f. 11Confederate Home
f. 12-15Daughters of the American Revolution
f. 16Kiwanis Club
f. 17Knights of Columbus
f. 18Knights of Pythias
f. 19Knights Templar
f. 20Lions Club
f. 21-22Masons
f. 23-27Memorial
f. 28Probate Judges of Missouri
f. 29Rotary Club
f. 30St. Joseph's Hospital
f. 31Sorosis Club
f. 32United Daughters of the Confederacy
f. 33War Mothers
f. 34-36Miscellaneous

Historical Figures

f. 37William H. Ashley
f. 38-40David Barton
f. 41-43George Caleb Bingham
f. 44-45Daniel Boone
f. 46-47Kit Carson
f. 48-49Hannah Allison Cole
f. 50Joseph Cooper
f. 51Phil Donnelly
f. 52John Hardeman
f. 53Washington Irving
f. 54-55Frank and Jesse James
f. 56Lewis and Clark
f. 57Will Rogers
f. 58John Sappington
f. 59Lon V. Stephens
f. 60-61Williams family

Missouri Places

f. 62-63Arrow Rock
f. 64-70Boonslick country
f. 71-73Boonville
f. 74-76Towns Named Boonville
f. 77Callaway County
f. 78-80Cooper County
f. 81Glasgow
f. 82Howard County
f. 84Saline County
f. 85Sedalia
f. 86-87Kemper Military School
f. 88-89Santa Fe Trail

Church histories, speeches, and historical notes

f. 90Cemeteries
f. 91Church histories
f. 92Presbyterian Church, Boonville
f. 93Presbyterian Church in the United States history
f. 94-97Religion and religious figures

Miscellaneous

f. 98-99Civil War
f. 100Dueling
f. 101Law and politics
f. 102Poetry
f. 103-105Missouri Academy of Squires
f. 106Rod and Gun Club
f. 107-110Correspondence
f. 111-114Clippings
f. 115-119Miscellany
f. 120Photographs
f. 121Physician's ledger, 1853-1885
f. 122E.C. Evans ledger, 1857-1858

INDEX TERMS

These index terms are the subjects, people, places, etc. under which this collection is listed in all available indexes at The State Historical Society of Missouri-Columbia. If you are interested in a specific index term, please contact the reference staff.