Shelton Williams
Encyclopedia
Shelton Williams, a native of Odessa, Texas
, is Professor Emeritus of Political Science
and International Studies
at Austin College
in Sherman, Texas
. He is also the President 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
.
where he was educated in the public schools of that city. He played on a district championship football team at Permian High School. 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 driving 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.
in 1970, serving in the ensuing years as Dean of Social Sciences, Director of the College Honors 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 policy analyst and then 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 a William C. Foster Visiting Scholar at the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency [ACDA]. ACDA posted him to the US Mission to the UN where he worked with Madeleine Albright
, dealing especially with United States representation at the United Nations
on nuclear proliferation.
program for over twenty-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 the University of Texas at Dallas He serves on the Board of Directors of the Model United Nations
organization.
.
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 2009.
. 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 staff of the United States National Security Council
under Henry Kissinger.
Odessa, Texas
Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Odessa, Texas Metropolitan...
, is Professor Emeritus of Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and International Studies
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
at Austin College
Austin College
Austin College is a private liberal arts college affiliated by covenant relationship with the Presbyterian Church and located in Sherman, Texas, about 60 miles North of Dallas....
in Sherman, Texas
Sherman, Texas
Sherman is a city in and the county seat of Grayson County, Texas, United States. The city's estimated population as of 2009 was 38,407. It is also one of two principal cities in the Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. He is also the President of the Osgood Center for International Studies
Osgood Center for International Studies
The Osgood Center for International Studies is a not-for-profit educational foundation located in Washington, D.C. It is named in honor of Robert E. Osgood and his wife Gretchen....
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Williams is a specialist in issues relating to nuclear proliferation
Nuclear proliferation
Nuclear proliferation is a term now used to describe the spread of nuclear weapons, fissile material, and weapons-applicable nuclear technology and information, to nations which are not recognized as "Nuclear Weapon States" by the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons, also known as the...
. He has served as an advisor to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency of the United States government that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and was first opened January 19, 1975...
and also as a special assistant to Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Korbelová Albright is the first woman to become a United States Secretary of State. She was appointed by U.S. President Bill Clinton on December 5, 1996, and was unanimously confirmed by a U.S. Senate vote of 99–0...
.
Early life
Williams grew up in Odessa, TexasOdessa, Texas
Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Odessa, Texas Metropolitan...
where he was educated in the public schools of that city. He played on a district championship football team at Permian High School. He attended the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in 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
Charles Whitman
Charles Joseph Whitman was a student at the University of Texas at Austin and a former Marine who killed 16 people and wounded 32 others during a shooting rampage on and around the university's campus on August 1, 1966....
on August 1, 1966. Williams, who was driving 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
Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies , a division of Johns Hopkins University based in Washington, D.C., is one of the world's leading and most prestigious graduate schools devoted to the study of international affairs, economics, diplomacy, and policy research and...
of Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, 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
Johns Hopkins University Press
The Johns Hopkins University Press is the publishing division of the Johns Hopkins University. It was founded in 1878 and holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously running university press in the United States. The Press publishes books, journals, and electronic databases...
, The United States, India, and the Bomb.
Academic career
Williams joined the faculty at Austin CollegeAustin College
Austin College is a private liberal arts college affiliated by covenant relationship with the Presbyterian Church and located in Sherman, Texas, about 60 miles North of Dallas....
in 1970, serving in the ensuing years as Dean of Social Sciences, Director of the College Honors 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
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
, Williams served for two years (1976 to 1978) in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
as a policy analyst and then special consultant to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency of the United States government that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and was first opened January 19, 1975...
on matters relating to international proliferation. Williams returned to Federal service again during the Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
Administration when he served as a William C. Foster Visiting Scholar at the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency [ACDA]. ACDA posted him to the US Mission to the UN where he worked with Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Korbelová Albright is the first woman to become a United States Secretary of State. She was appointed by U.S. President Bill Clinton on December 5, 1996, and was unanimously confirmed by a U.S. Senate vote of 99–0...
, dealing especially with United States representation at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
on nuclear proliferation.
Model United Nations
Williams has been a supporter of the Model United NationsModel United Nations
Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....
program for over twenty-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
Austin College
Austin College is a private liberal arts college affiliated by covenant relationship with the Presbyterian Church and located in Sherman, Texas, about 60 miles North of Dallas....
and the University of Texas at Dallas He serves on the Board of Directors of the Model United Nations
Model United Nations
Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....
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 WhitmanCharles Whitman
Charles Joseph Whitman was a student at the University of Texas at Austin and a former Marine who killed 16 people and wounded 32 others during a shooting rampage on and around the university's campus on August 1, 1966....
.
Since publication of Washed in the Blood, actress Moira Kelly
Moira Kelly
Moira Kelly is an American actress. She is best known for playing single mother Karen Roe on the teen drama One Tree Hill. She also directed two episodes of the series: "Resolve" and "I Slept with Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me"...
has shown interest in developing the novel into a screenplay, tentatively planning to begin filming in the summer of 2009.
The Osgood Center for International Studies
In addition to his academic appointment at Austin College, Williams also serves as the founding President of the Osgood Center for International StudiesOsgood Center for International Studies
The Osgood Center for International Studies is a not-for-profit educational foundation located in Washington, D.C. It is named in honor of Robert E. Osgood and his wife Gretchen....
. 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 staff of the United States National Security Council
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
under Henry Kissinger.