Marvin D. Williams Jr. was the Director of the Library and Archivist of the Disciples of Christ Historical Society (DCHS) from 1967 to 1976. Williams supervised the Black Materials Project at DCHS around 1970 and indexed multiple Disciples periodicals.
Marvin D. Williams Jr. was born on October 27, 1935, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Marvin D. Williams Sr. and Mary Williams. In 1958, he graduated with a BA in religion from Butler University. He pursued further education, earning a BD from Christian Theological Seminary (1962) and an MA in New Testament and mission studies from Butler University (1963). Williams was ordained in 1962 at Central Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. In the same year, he served as a student minister at Big Flat Rock Christian Church in Rushville, Indiana, before pursuing a degree in library science. Williams received an MA in library science from the George Peabody College for Teachers in 1963.
During his academic studies, Williams held various positions, including library assistant and periodicals librarian, at Christian Theological Seminary. In 1961, he joined the staff of the Disciples of Christ Historical Society (DCHS). Williams worked as a contributing indexer of The Christian-Evangelist under the guidance of Curator Claude Spencer. He was promoted to the position of Cataloger in 1963, Head of Technical Services in 1965, and Director of the Library and Archivist in 1967.
Williams led the library and archives of DCHS with a focus on preserving the critical memory of the past. In this role, he served as the editor for Discipliana and contributed articles to various Disciples periodicals, including Indiana Christian and World Call. Around 1970, Williams initiated the Black Materials Project at DCHS as a means to identify and provide access to the Historical Society’s holdings regarding Black Disciples and race relations. As a result of this effort, DCHS published the Preliminary Guide to Black Materials in the Disciples of Christ Historical Society in 1971. Williams relinquished his position at DCHS in 1976, but continued his relationship with the Historical Society, donating his early personal papers in the 1980s and early 1990s.
After departing from DCHS, he worked for the Library Division of the Tennessee State Library and Archives (1976-1987). After a brief stint at Indiana University, Williams moved into a new role at the University of West Florida in Pensacola. He rose to the position of University Librarian and retired after 29 years of service. In his retirement, Williams authored Four Nineteenth Century Disciples of Christ Scholarly Quarterlies (2021) that provided an author, title, and subject index of The Christian Quarterly (1869-1876), The Christian Quarterly Review (1882-1889), The New Christian Quarterly (1892-1896), and The Christian Quarterly (New Series) (1897-1899).
He returned to Indianapolis in 2001, where he attended Central Christian Church and served as a Deacon and Secretary of the Board. Williams died on April 18, 2024. At the time of his death, Williams bequeathed his library and the remainder of his personal papers to Christian Theological Seminary.
Sources:
Marvin D. Williams Jr. Biographical Reference File. Disciples of Christ Historical Society.
Williams, Marvin D. Jr, “Preliminary Guide to Black Materials in the Disciples of Christ Historical Society” (1971). Stone-Campbell Movement Monographs. 3.