| Summary: | Research professor and mathematician Floyd Leroy Williams was born on September 20, 1939 in Kansas City, Missouri. Born and raised in an impoverished environment, his mother was a constant source of encouragement. She reminded him not to complain about their situation, but rather to maintain faith in God and always work hard. Ironically, as a high school student, Williams excelled in music rather than mathematics. Before graduating high school, he was offered a scholarship from Lincoln University of Missouri in Jefferson City to study music. Williams went on to receive advance degrees in mathematics from Washington University in St. Louis, earning his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in 1965 and 1972, respectively. He joined the faculty at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 1975 as an assistant professor, and became a full professor in 1984. In 2005, Williams began serving as Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
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