Harriette F. Williams '52, Ed.D. '73

Harriette F. Williams '52, Ed.D. '73, educator, member of the pioneer Flowers family of Los Angeles and the first African American president of UCLA's Gold Shield Alumnae, passed away at her home on July 28. She was 88.

The eldest daughter of Virginia Carter Flowers and Orlando Flowers, Harriette was born on July 18, 1930, in Los Angeles. An alumnus of Los Angeles High School, Williams earned a bachelor of science in physical education and a teaching credential at UCLA in 1952. She completed a master’s degree in educational administration at California State University, Los Angeles, and returned to UCLA to earn an Ed.D. in urban education, policy and planning from the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies in 1973.

Williams dedicated more than forty years of service to the Los Angeles Unified School District, where she worked as a teacher, counselor, assistant principal, principal, director of instruction and administrator of operations. She retired from school administration in 1992 but continued to give back to the community by serving as chair of the Los Angeles County Commission for Children and Families, and as field services representative for various regions of the Association of California School Administrators. For her continuous and impassioned advocacy for children, Williams received the Region 15 Bob Gray Award in 1997, and the prestigious Robert E. Kelly Award in 2005.

For over fifty years Williams had been actively involved with her alma mater, and as a life member of the UCLA Alumni Association, she served as a volunteer, vice president, and board member. She participated on the Ralph Bunche Scholarship Committee, the Chancellor’s Circle, the Dean’s Council of GSE&IS, the Blue and Gold Circle, and a host of other campus volunteer organizations. Williams was the recipient of the Arthur Ashe Award for Community Service from the Black Alumni Association of UCLA and in 1996 she received the UCLA Alumni Award of Excellence in Community Service.

From 1998 – 2000 Williams became the first African American elected president of UCLA's Gold Shield Alumnae, a select group of the university’s alumnae who have served their alma mater, communities and professions with honor and distinction. As UCLA’s most generous support group, the volunteer organization has raised nearly a million dollars in scholarship funds that are disbursed through the UCLA Alumni Association.

An active participant in the African American community, Williams was initiated into Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. (a public service sorority) at UCLA in 1949 and served in leadership roles for this dedicated group of college-educated women for over sixty years. In 2012 she was awarded platinum status recognizing fifty years of service in her affiliation with Links Inc., a national service organization based in Washington, D.C. Williams also chaired Wilfandel, Inc., a clubhouse maintained for inner city families co-founded by her late aunt Fannie Casmon. Other affiliations include the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the National Council of Negro Women and the Urban League of Los Angeles.

Williams is survived by her husband Irvin Williams, a retired educator; two children, Lorin and Lori; and a host of relatives and friends. A memorial service will be held Saturday, Sep. 1, at 11 a.m. at Trinity Baptist Church, 2040 West Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90018.