Ethel Williams

Ethel Williams, Exceptional Educator Inducted 2015

Miss Ethel Williams loved teaching and her students. She helped students in many ways that others did not know including buying books and clothing for students, as well as loaning her car to someone to go to a job interview. Miss Ethel Williams attended elementary and high school in Urbana, Missouri. She also attended Missouri State Teachers College. At that time credits were divided into three terms which included a term in the summer. Within 14 months she had earned her 60 credits which was all that was required to teach at the time. Her first teaching job was at Tunas, Missouri where she taught all grades to 63 students. Her beginning salary in 1931 was $30 per month. She felt the amount that teachers received was not nearly as important as what she got back in gratitude and satisfaction from the success of her students. Miss Williams was a teacher for 49 years in Tunas, Urbana, and Verona, Missouri where she later became a principal. She returned to Urbana for one year and then taught the business practice at Buffalo High School where she remained for 34 years. She was also the secretary to D. A. Mallory, the superintendent. She retired in 1979. She was every bit a politician. She could go around every question and never give you an answer. She was very precise and wanted her students to be, also. She was very generous but frugal. Everyone loved Miss Williams. She always had a smile. Miss Williams is remembered by many who she influenced as their teacher and who followed her in becoming a Dallas County School secretary. Miss Williams died in 2007.