L Pearce Williams

Leslie Pearce Williams (September 8, 1927 – February 8, 2015) was a chaired professor at Cornell University's Department of History who also chaired the department for many years. He was the founder, in the mid-1980s, of Cornell's program in the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology. His biography of Michael Faraday won the Pfizer Award in 1965. His portrayals of James I and Rousseau, along with many others, made lasting impressions on generations of Cornell undergraduates. An outspoken conservative in politics - in the mold of Tocqueville - he urged caution with regard to central governments, believing that most humans would probably learn principally by making big mistakes. He wrote several books, numerous articles in his field, and dozens of scholarly reviews. He also served on the board of editors for The Dictionary of Scientific Biography, Studies in History and philosophy of Science, Physis, and Rivista della Storia della Scienza. He cared privately about the success of student athletes and devoted many hours to tutoring them. He often expressed his opinions on various issues to The Ithaca Journal and The Cornell Daily Sun, gaining him a certain local notoriety, or fame.