Dr. Williams was born in York County, South Carolina, educated in private schools, and received his M.D. from the University of Maryland (1899). He returned to practice medicine in York and, in 1901, entered the Medical Corps of the U.S. Army for two years, serving in the Philippines. On his return, he took postgraduate work in Baltimore and then returned to practice medicine in Columbia, S.C. In 1908, he was elected State Health Officer for South Carolina, serving for three years in this position, following which he pursued postgraduate work in Europe.
In 1915, Dr. Williams became superintendent of the South Carolina State Hospital. Without psychiatric training, he chose Dr. William C. Sandy as Clinical Director (Dr. Sandy was APA President from 1939–40). In 1923, he established outpatient clinics throughout the state. That year, he was selected as Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the Medical College of South Carolina.
Dr. Williams was president of the Columbia Medical Society, the South Carolina Medical Society, and the South Carolina Conference on Social Work. He served as Vice Chairman of the Section on Preventive Medicine of the American Medical Association. A member of the APA since 1916, he served on many committees and councils and remained active in civic and religious organizations.
Dr. Williams served as President of the American Psychiatric Association (1934–35).