WILLIAMS, ARTHUR BALDWIN (11 Apr. 1874-18 Aug. 1951) was an ecologist, Curator of Education for the CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, park naturalist for the Cleveland Metropolitan Park District and author of many writings on nature subjects.
Born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, to Arthur Williams Sr. and Ida Lydia (Harrison), the family moved to Scranton, PA. where Williams attended public school and the School of the Lackawanna. He received his A.B. from Yale University (1898), and his M.A. (1932) and Ph.D. (1935) in ecology from Western Reserve University.
In 1905 Williams came to Cleveland and worked as a general agent for the Cleveland Humane Society. In 1909 he entered Cleveland Law School and, later, worked in real estate.
Williams joined the Natural History Museum in 1930 as naturalist and ecologist with a special assignment as naturalist for the Cleveland Metropolitan Park Board. In 1931 he opened the Trailside Museum in North Chagrin Park, the first of its kind in America. In 1932 he organized bird walks in the parks. In 1939 Williams became Curator of Education at the Museum (retired 1950) and served on the managing board until 1946.
He served on the managing board and executive committee of Holden Arboretum (1936-1950), was Cleveland's naturalist (1943-1950) and chaired the Cleveland Sesquicentennial Committee on Moses Cleaveland trees (1945-1946).
In 1943 Williams began weekly nature columns for THE CLEVELAND PRESS. In 1946 the Museum published his illustrated volume, The Native Forests of Cuyahoga County, Ohio. In 1950 he published Birds in Cleveland.
Williams married Emma Maude Hanley in 1901. They had a daughter, Barbara. Williams is buried in LAKE VIEW CEMETERY.