Talcott Williams

Who was Talcott Williams?

Talcott Williams, was an American journalist and educator, born at Abeih, Ottoman Turkey, the son of Congregational missionaries. He graduated from Amherst in 1873. Afterwards. he was employed at the New York World, and as a correspondent for the New York Sun and the San Francisco Chronicle. He was an editorial writer for the Springfield Republican in 1879-81. He worked as an editor of the Philadelphia Press for 30 years, until 1912, when he became director of the new School of Journalism at Columbia University, built and endowed by Joseph Pulitzer. With F. M. Colby, he was editor of the New International Encyclopedia. In 1913, he served as president of the American Conference of Teachers of Journalism.

Williams was a good friend of artist Thomas Eakins. Eakins included a depiction of Williams in The Swimming Hole.