Among the duties of Trustees of The Concord Free Public Library Corporation is the administration of a special endowed fund, The Charles Williams Fund, that provides an annual stipend for scholarships awarded to college-bound Concord students who demonstrate an interest and aptitude in the visual arts or in music. The Fund is named for Library benefactor Charles H.S. Williams, a contemporary of the Library’s Founder, William Munroe. Charles Williams was born in Buffalo, New York, in October, 1838, and attended college first at Yale University, then Union College. He studied law and went into practice in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he was married. After practicing law for some years, Mr. Williams changed course and studied theology.
He relocated to Concord and was ordained as a Congregational Minister, serving as Pastor of the Trinitarian Church in Concord from about 1868 to 1870, before returning to the practice of law. Mr. Williams’ life ended prematurely on December 26, 1880. In his obituary he was hailed as a leading citizen of Concord and a friend to all. Having no children of his own to inherit his wealth, Mr. Williams, working through the structure of the Library Corporation, created a fund that would benefit the children of his fellow Concordians for generations to come.
The Williams bequest was notable in that Mr. Williams specifically indicated that scholarship funds should be equally available to young men and to young women. For many years The Williams Scholarship was run as an “affiliate fund” of The Concord-Carlisle Scholarship Fund (CCSF), which enabled the mechanics of scholarship administration to be managed in concert with other CCSF affiliate funds. During that time, the Library Corporation provided financial support to Williams Scholars who attended universities and colleges all over the United States. More recently, the administration of The Williams Scholarship reverted to The Library Corporation, and it continues to be administered by the Corporation today.
In 2018, The Williams Scholarship was restructured to create two distinct awards, “The Charles Williams Scholarship for Excellence in Music” and “The Charles Williams Scholarship for Excellence in Visual Arts.” Each Scholarship is granted to a Concord resident completing high school or high-school equivalent and entering college the following fall.
Williams Scholar grant amounts vary from year to year, but typically range from $2,000 to $5,000 annually and are renewable for each consecutive year the recipient attends college up to 4 years.
For a comprehensive list of Frequently Asked Questions, including important eligibility and procedural information, please click here.
