The official renaming of the Dudley N. Williams, Jr. Auditorium will be celebrated December 12 at 2 p.m. during a reception featuring a performance by a Stamford Symphony quartet. It will be open to the public.
“Dudley III and I are thrilled to learn of the board’s decision to name the auditorium of the main branch after Dudley, as is the entire Williams family,” said his wife, Juanita James. “Dudley was a passionate advocate for the Ferguson Library and really valued the critical role it serves in the Stamford community. I think he would be delightfully pleased, and also astonished that such a great honor is being bestowed in his name, because of his love for the library, his long-term relationship and respect for Ernie DiMattia, and his admiration for Alice, who continues the vision and leadership of this great institution.”
Williams, who passed away May 2021, served intermittently on the library’s Board of Trustees since 2002, holding various leadership positions including Chair, a role he held for the 2019-2020 term. He also served on the Ferguson Library Foundation Board since 2010.
Dudley’s influence on the Ferguson Library over the last twenty years can be seen throughout our programs and services,” said Alice Knapp, CEO of the Ferguson Library. “Always an advocate for the library, he also challenged us to provide library services to more neighborhoods throughout Stamford. During his tenure as Chair, he helped guide us through COVID and its impact on operating hours and levels of service. I still rely on his guidance when presented with a tough decision.”
Williams was a widely admired and respected member of the Stamford philanthropic community. He held leadership roles with The Connecticut Center for School Change, Nellie Mae Education Foundation, Childcare Learning Centers, the Rowan Center, Stamford YMCA and the Urban League of Southwestern CT. He served on the city’s boards of Education, Finance and Planning as well as the Connecticut State Commissions on Educational Achievement and Association of Boards of Education. For his service, he was honored with the 2017 Stamford Citizen of the Year Award.
Until his passing, he was President & CEO of the Mill River Collaborative and a long-time member and steward at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Stamford.