[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 4468-4469]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   PAYING TRIBUTE TO DR. WILBUR WILLIAMS FOR HIS 50 YEARS OF SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SUSAN W. BROOKS

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 20, 2017

  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 
retirement of Dr. Wilbur Williams from Indiana Wesleyan University in 
Marion, Indiana. Dr. Williams is a beloved member of the Indiana 
Wesleyan community, as well as the greater Marion community. Through 
his 50 years of teaching, he has taught over 17,000 students, led over 
a hundred trips to the Bible lands, and is an accomplished author. The 
people of Indiana's Fifth Congressional District are forever grateful 
for Dr. Wilbur Williams' commitment to educating the next generation of 
Indiana students to be

[[Page 4469]]

knowledgeable, passionate, and active members of their community and 
the world.
  Born in Gas City, Indiana to William and Idelta Williams, Dr. 
Williams is a life-long Hoosier. He graduated from Fairmount High 
School and later attended Marion College, now Indiana Wesleyan, for his 
undergraduate studies. He married Ardelia Lee Williams, another beloved 
faculty member of Indiana Wesleyan, in 1953. After his undergraduate 
studies, Dr. Williams was a pastor at Sheridan Wesleyan Church in 
Sheridan, Indiana from 1953 to 1958. In 1957, during his time as 
pastor, Dr. Williams earned a Master of Science from Butler University. 
He then went on to become the Assistant General Manager of the Higley 
Press and Publishing Company from 1959 to 1960 then Plant Manager at 
the Economy Printing Concern from 1960 to 1961. Dr. Williams was then 
the Circulation Manager of the Christian Freedom Foundation from 1961 
to 1966 as well as was the Editor of the Evangelical Sunday School 
commentary from 1960 through 1973. He earned his Master of Arts from 
New York University in 1965 and shortly thereafter, he came back home 
to Indiana and began his long career as an associate professor, 
teaching Old Testament and Archaeology, for Indiana Wesleyan 
University. Dr. Williams earned his Doctorate of Divinity from Oklahoma 
Wesleyan University in 1992.
  Dr. Williams is perhaps one of the most well-known professors in 
Indiana Wesleyan history. Many students have taken his course, Old 
Testament Survey, where he has been known to incorporate his 40 plus 
years' experience in Israel Archeological excavations into the material 
he teaches. Not only is he a long serving professor, he is beloved by 
his students. He has been elected ``Professor of the Year'' eight 
times, most recently in 2009 and 2010. Dr. Williams for many years 
taught for only a $1 annual salary, so that the money could be 
dedicated to maintain the Williams Prayer Chapel. The small Gothic-
style chapel in the center of campus opened in August 2001, and is 
designed to provide a place of solitude for students to experience a 
moment of peace with the Lord amidst their busy schedules. Dr. 
Williams' wife, Ardelia Williams, who taught for many years within the 
Indiana Wesleyan Art Department, crafted all of the stained glass 
windows in the small sanctuary.
  In addition to Dr. Williams' time as a faculty member at Indiana 
Wesleyan, he has been active on Indian archaeological digs throughout 
the United States. He has been even more active on excavations in 
Israel and North Africa. He dug for over 40 years in such cities as 
Arad, Aphek, Jerusalem, Carthage, Lacbish, Megiddo, Jezreel and Hazor. 
In September of 2005, at the Indiana-Israel Dinner of State, Israel 
Bonds bestowed upon Dr. Williams the honor of ``Friend of Israel''. 
Governor Mitch Daniels, who was honorary co-chair of the dinner, also 
presented Williams a ``Distinguished Hoosier'' award. Altogether Dr. 
Williams has been to the Bible lands 156 times, nearly all of which 
have been to Israel. The Israeli Ministry of Tourism honored Dr. 
Williams for his many trips to the Holy Land, by presenting him with a 
sterling silver copy of a 1585 world map depicting Jerusalem as the 
center of the world.
  Dr. Williams is an accomplished author who has published many 
articles and three books: one of poetry titled, ``From Sand to Glass''; 
one on the Ten Commandments titled ``How To Find Your Maximum 
Happiness,'' and the other a Commentary on the book of Genesis. He is 
currently writing ``God's Grand Design and Satan's Counter Plan''.
  On behalf of all Hoosiers, I wish to extend a heartfelt thank you to 
Dr. Williams for his many years in education, for his contributions to 
our Hoosier community, our nation, and the resilient nation of Israel. 
I want to congratulate Dr. Williams on his remarkable career and I wish 
the very best to Dr. Williams, to his wife Ardelia, and to their 
children and their families, in his well-deserved retirement.

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