CALIFORNIA – Pioneering USDA Forest Service scientist Dr. Carroll Williams passed away on March 1, 2024, in Berkeley, California. He was 94 years old. 
Dr. Williams was the first African American to receive a Ph.D. in forestry and entomology and the first African American scientist hired by the Forest Service. 

Born in St. Louis in 1929, Dr. Williams graduated near the top of his high school class in Chicago. He attended the University of Michigan, interrupting his studies to serve in the Marine Corps during the Korean War. He returned to the university under the GI Bill and completed three degrees: a Bachelor of Science in Forestry in 1955, a Master of Forestry in 1957, and a Ph.D. in Forestry and Entomology in 1963. 

The Forest Service hired Dr. Williams after he graduated, and he moved to Corvallis, Oregon. His Forest Service career also brought him to Richmond, California and New Haven, Connecticut. In New Haven, he joined the staff at Yale University — the first African American in the environmental science and forestry faculties. He returned to California in 1973, drawn by his love for redwood trees. Here, he retired from the Forest Service and joined the faculty at the University of California at Berkley, teaching courses in forestry and entomology. 

Over his career, Dr. Williams helped evaluate treatments for bark beetles, spruce budworms and other invasive species. He also helped design computer models analyzing the costs and benefits of pesticide applications. 

In 2021, The University of Michigan established the Dr. Carroll B. Williams Jr. Fund for Black Excellence for students entering the School for Environment and Sustainability. Said Dr. Williams on this honor: “I counsel many young people to go after their dreams, and it pleases me to know this fund is being created to allow them to do so. Follow your dreams!”

Dr. Williams is survived by his children, Robin, Maiya and Blake; son-in-law, Patric; stepchildren, Malana, Rasaan and Irene; grandchildren, Ripley, Patric, Deckard, Marianne (Mars), Neo, Teddy, James, and Camille; and three ex-wives.

A celebration honoring Dr. Williams’ life will be held at the beginning of September in Berkeley. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donating to the Dr. Carroll B. Williams Jr. Fund for Black Excellence.