Major General
Clarence C. Williams

Major General Clarence C. WilliamsMajor General Clarence C. Williams was born on November 8, 1869 and graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1894.

He was Chief of Ordnance from July 1918 until April 1930. While World War I was in progress, he improved the organization of the Ordnance Department and decentralized procurement.

After World War I, he vigorously pursued the recommendations of the Westervelt Board, which established the family of artillery weapons. General Williams established a policy that permitted the using services to share in deciding what types of weapons they would employ.

His postwar reorganization of the Ordnance Department realigned responsibilities into a simple, logical scheme that served as the basic operational pattern through the peace years.

General Williams combined an open mind with an unusual administrative ability and encouraged industrial mobilization planning--stressing the partnership of arsenals and industry. He improved coast defense armament and ammunition and started work on a semiautomatic rifle. General Williams retired from active service on April 1, 1930 and died on June 11, 1958.