Robert Hardin Williams

After growing up and graduating from high school in Savannah, Tennessee, Robert H. Williams graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1929 from Washington and Lee University and an M.D. in 1934 from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He was from 1934 to 1935 a medical intern in pathology at Boston City Hospital, where he was mentored in endocrinology by Fuller Albright and James Howard Means. From 1935 to 1937, Williams completed his medical training and residency in internal medicine at Vanderbilt University Hospital, which became Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). He was from 1937 to 1938 an instructor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and from 1938 to 1939 worked at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. At Harvard Medical School he was from 1939 to 1940 a fellow, from 1940 to 1944 an instructor, from 1944 to 1946 a medical associate, and from 1946 to 1948 an assistant professor. In 1948 he resigned from Harvard Medical School to become the chair of the department medicine at the newly established University of Washington School of Medicine; he was the chair from 1948 to 1963 during the department's formative period.

{{blockquote|Dr. Williams conducted his early work on thyroid disorders. His later research concentrated on diabetes, particularly insulin secretion and metabolism and its interaction with other hormonal substances. Dr. Williams established the Diabetes Research Institute and the Diabetes Center at the University of Washington. He also studied problems of obesity, atherosclerosis, and lipid metabolism.}}

He was the editor of Textbook of Endocrinology (W. B. Saunders, 1950){{cite journal|title=brief review of Textbook of Endocrinology, edited by Robert H. Williams|journal=Academic Medicine|volume=25|issue=4|year=1950|page=303|url=https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/Citation/1950/07000/Textbook_of_Endocrinology.79.aspx}} with a second edition in 1955{{Cite journal|title=Review of Textbook of Endocrinology, 2nd edition, edited by Robert H. Williams|volume=7|issue=3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-aFMAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA449|page=449|journal=United States Armed Forces Medical Journal|date=March 1956}} and many subsequent editions.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nbg1QOAObicC|title = Williams Textbook of Endocrinology E-Book|isbn = 978-1437736007|editor1 = Melmed, Shlomo|editor2 = Polonsky, Kenneth S.|editor3 =Larsen, P. Reed|editor4 = Kronenberg, Henry M.|date = 12 May 2011| publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences }} The Williams Textbook of Endocrinology, 14th revised edition, was published in 2020.{{cite journal|doi=10.4183/aeb.2019.416|title=Review of Williams Textbook of Endocrinology - 14th Revised Edition|year=2019|last1=Badiu|first1=C.|journal=Acta Endocrinologica |volume=15|issue=3|page=416|pmc=6992389}} He was the editor of, and wrote seven chapters for, the 1973 book To Live and Die: When, Why, and How,{{cite journal|journal=Horizons|volume=2|issue=1|date=Spring 1975|pages=173–174|title=Review of To Live and to Die: When, Why and How, edited by Robert H. Williams|doi=10.1017/S0360966900012238|s2cid=171275565}}{{cite book|editor=Williams, Robert H.|title=To Live and Die: When, Why, and How|publisher=Springer Science and Business Media|year=2013|isbn=9781475743692|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HxnTBwAAQBAJ}} (1st edition, 1973) "which addressed the issues of euthanasia, suicide, population planning, organ transplantation, body-mind-soul interrelations, and the afterlife."

In 1966 Williams was awarded the Banting Medal of the American Diabetes Association.{{cite web|title=Banting Medal for Scientific Achievement|website=American Diabetes Association|url=https://professional.diabetes.org/sites/professional.diabetes.org/files/media/2019_banting_medal_for_scientific_achievement_-_award_profile_gt.pdf}}

He married in 1941 and became the father of several children.

• {{cite journal|author=Williams, Robert H.|title=Clinical biotin deficiency|journal=New England Journal of Medicine|volume=228|issue=8|year=1943|pages=247–252|doi=10.1056/NEJM194302252280802}}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1210/endo-34-5-317|title=Anatomical Effects of Thiouracil|year=1944|last1=Williams|first1=Robert H.|last2=Weinglass|first2=Albert R.|last3=Bissell|first3=Grosvenor W.|last4=Peters|first4=Jean B.|journal=Endocrinology|volume=34|issue=5|pages=317–328}}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1016/0002-9343(48)90248-4|title=Endocrine changes associated with Laennec's cirrhosis of the liver|year=1948|last1=Lloyd|first1=Charles W.|last2=Williams|first2=Robert H.|journal=The American Journal of Medicine|volume=4|issue=3|pages=315–330|pmid=18904051}}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1210/jcem-8-2-166|title=Chemical Assay for "Cortin"|year=1948|last1=Daughaday|first1=William H.|last2=Jaffe|first2=Herbert|last3=Williams|first3=Robert H.|journal=The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism|volume=8|issue=2|pages=166–174|pmid=18907982}}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1210/endo-51-5-451|title=The Role of the Pituitary-Adrenal System in Cystine-S³⁵ Incorporation into Protein|year=1952|last1=Lee|first1=Norman D.|last2=Williams|first2=Robert H.|journal=Endocrinology|volume=51|issue=5|pages=451–456|pmid=13010200}}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1210/endo-54-1-5|title=The Intracellular Localization of Labeled Thyroxine and Labeled Insulin in Mammalian Liver|year=1954|last1=Lee|first1=Norman D.|last2=Williams|first2=Robert H.|journal=Endocrinology|volume=54|issue=1|pages=5–19|pmid=13151087}}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1210/endo-55-3-332|title=Comparative Distribution and Fate of I¹³¹-Labeled Thyroxine and Triiodothyronine|year=1954|last1=Vanarsdel|first1=Paul|last2=Hogness|first2=John R.|last3=Williams|first3=Robert H.|last4=Elgee|first4=Neil|journal=Endocrinology|volume=55|issue=3|pages=332–343|pmid=13200442}}
• {{cite journal|pmid=13191939|year=1954|author1=Williams RH|title=The clinical investigator and his role in teaching, administration, and the care of the patient|journal=Journal of the American Medical Association|volume=156|issue=2|pages=127–136}}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1210/endo-60-2-277|title=Studies on the Metabolism of Glucagon-I¹³¹ in Rats|year=1957|last1=Cox|first1=Robert W.|last2=Henley|first2=Elaine D.|last3=Narahara|first3=Hiromichi T.|last4=Vanarsdel|first4=Paul P.|last5=Williams|first5=Robert H.|journal=Endocrinology|volume=60|issue=2|pages=277–284|pmid=13397495}}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1210/endo-60-2-285|title=Degradation of Glucagon-I¹³¹ by Rat Tissues in Vitro|year=1957|last1=Narahara|first1=H. T.|last2=Williams|first2=Robert H.|journal=Endocrinology|volume=60|issue=2|pages=285–289|pmid=13397496}}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1210/endo-68-5-809|title=Severe Ketoacidosis in the Alloxan Diabetic Rat|year=1961|last1=Steiner|first1=Donald F.|last2=Rauda|first2=Vija|last3=Williams|first3=Robert H.|journal=Endocrinology|volume=68|issue=5|pages=809–817|doi-access=free}}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1210/endo-72-5-735|title=Esterification of Cholesterol by Homogenates of Rat Adrenal Tissue|year=1963|last1=Longcope|first1=Christopher|last2=Williams|first2=Robert H.|journal=Endocrinology|volume=72|issue=5|pages=735–741}}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1126/science.152.3726.1248|title=Inhibition of Insulin Release by Norepinephrine in Man|year=1966|last1=Porte Jr.|first1=Daniel|last2=Williams|first2=Robert H.|journal=Science|volume=152|issue=3726|pages=1248–1250|pmid=5327883|bibcode=1966Sci...152.1248P |s2cid=39143811}}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1210/endo-81-2-213|title=Quantitation and Partial Characterization of Nonsuppressible Insulin-like Activity in Serum and Tissue Extracts of the Rat|year=1967|last1=Solomon|first1=Solomon S.|last2=Poffenbarger|first2=Phillip L.|last3=Hepp|first3=Dieter K.|last4=Fenster|first4=L. Frederick|last5=Ensinck|first5=John W.|last6=Williams|first6=Robert H.|journal=Endocrinology|volume=81|issue=2|pages=213–225|pmid=4952847}}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1210/endo-87-1-135|title=Effects of Insulin and Proinsulin on Isolated Fat Cells and Hemidiaphragms from Rats|year=1970|last1=Lavis|first1=Victor R.|last2=Ensinck|first2=John W.|last3=Williams|first3=Robert H.|journal=Endocrinology|volume=87|issue=1|pages=135–142|pmid=5445361}}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1210/endo-88-3-714|title=Hypoglycemic Activity and Immunological Half-life of Porcine Insulin and Proinsulin in Baboons and Swine|year=1971|last1=Stoll|first1=R. W.|last2=Touber|first2=J. L.|last3=Winterscheid|first3=L. C.|last4=Ensinck|first4=J. W.|last5=Williams|first5=R. H.|journal=Endocrinology|volume=88|issue=3|pages=714–717|pmid=5541306}}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1073/pnas.70.12.3478|title=Early Differentiation of Glucagon-Producing Cells in Embryonic Pancreas: A Possible Developmental Role for Glucagon|year=1973|last1=Rall|first1=L. B.|last2=Pictet|first2=R. L.|last3=Williams|first3=R. H.|last4=Rutter|first4=W. J.|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|volume=70|issue=12|pages=3478–3482|pmid=4519640|pmc=427263|bibcode=1973PNAS...70.3478R |doi-access=free}}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1210/jcem-37-1-11|title=Effect of Age on Growth Hormone Secretion in Man|year=1973|last1=Dudl|first1=R. James|last2=Ensinck|first2=John W.|last3=Palmer|first3=H. Earl|last4=Williams|first4=Robert H.|journal=The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism|volume=37|issue=1|pages=11–16|pmid=4715288}}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1210/endo-96-6-1374|title=Inhibition of Gastrin Release by Somatostatin in Vitro|year=1975|last1=Hayes|first1=J. R.|last2=Johnson|first2=D. G.|last3=Koerker|first3=D.|last4=Williams|first4=R. H.|journal=Endocrinology|volume=96|issue=6|pages=1374–1376|pmid=1126310}}
• {{cite journal|doi=10.1210/endo-97-5-1210|title=The Effect on Gastrin Secretion of Agents which Increase the Intracellular Concentration of 3′,5′-Adenosine Monophosphate|year=1975|last1=Hayes|first1=J. R.|last2=Williams|first2=R. H.|journal=Endocrinology|volume=97|issue=5|pages=1210–1214|pmid=171147}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Robert Harding}}

Category:1909 births

Category:1979 deaths

Category:20th-century American physicians

Category:American endocrinologists

Category:American diabetologists

Category:Washington and Lee University alumni

Category:Johns Hopkins School of Medicine alumni

Category:Harvard Medical School faculty

Category:University of Washington faculty

Category:People from Savannah, Tennessee