French Creek Endowment Fund
“Roger got along as well at elegant dinner parties in Paris as he did at the Cowboy Bar in Encampment,” according to a colleague. “His love of fly fishing on the North Platte equaled his love for reading in French provincial archives.”
A native son of the West, Roger L. Williams grew up in Colorado and had an early interest in music and the natural sciences. Roger served in the European theatre during World War II as an Army supply sergeant. Later he was placed in intensive French language school as preparation for the military occupation.
Both teacher and scholar, Roger published more than a dozen books in French history. After retirement he wrote more books on the botanical history of France as well as the botany of the American West.
He taught at several universities over the years, one of which was UC Santa Barbara. When pressed by the university to take a high administrative position, Roger declined. He decided in favor of UW and Wyoming’s mountains, plains, and rivers. Wyoming was the better for it.
Quietly Making a Difference
Roger was not born wealthy. Over the years, he lived modestly, saved, and invested. He gave thoughtfully and generously.
Early on, he understood the Wyoming Community Foundation could bring the state together and improve the quality of life within our communities. As a result, Roger left his entire estate to the Community Foundation.
He divided the distributions from his French Creek Endowment Fund at the Community Foundation to the three causes that meant most to him: his favorite scholarly society, a conservation group, and to WYCF for unrestricted grant making.
Shortly before he died, Roger used money from his then donor-advised fund to support the Judicial Learning Center. He saw the impact the civic learning project could have on kids and on Wyoming’s future.
Roger passed in 2017, but he left behind scholarly works that will be read for years to come. Perhaps more importantly, though, he left behind a Wyoming legacy of giving that will live on forever.