A Williams Life
A Williams Life explores the lives and legacies of Williams College graduates.
Episodes
18 episodes
Mayda del Valle '00 – Chicago Poet Laureate
Poet, performer, and educator Mayda del Valle '00 was born and raised on Chicago's South Side and is now the city's Poet Laureate.Del Valle found early acclaim on the stage. At age 23, she bec...
Stacy Schiff '82 – Pulitzer Prize-Winning Biographer
This episode features Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stacy Schiff. Her most recent book, The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams, drew wide acclaim on release and landed on most 2022 best-of lists — including the Wall Street Journal's ...
Kurt Van Steemburg '75 – Lessons in Living
This episode features a conversation between Gordon Earle '75 and his classmate and close friend, Kurt Van Steemburg, when Kurt was in hospice with only a few weeks to live.Gordon recorded the episode because he was struck, in the weeks ...
Shoshana Clark Stewart '02 – President of Turquoise Mountain
Shoshana Clark Stewart ’02, President of Turquoise Mountain, reflects on her journey from Williams—where she majored in astrophysics and led her rowing team to three national championships—to Afg...
Toby Cosgrove ’62 – From Vietnam to the Cleveland Clinic
Dr. Toby Cosgrove ’62 reflects on a remarkable life that took him from upstate New York to Williams, through medical school at UVA, into the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, and ultimately to the helm of the Cleveland Clinic. A renowned c...
Reflections on A Williams Life
In this final episode of A Williams Life before the Class of 1975's 50th reunion, host Gordon Earle is interviewed by Jon Earle, his producer, nephew and fellow Williams alum ('09). Gordon reflects on his positive experience talking wi...
Jackie Laughlin — Midwife & Archivist
This episode of A Williams Life features a conversation with Jackie Laughlin, who was known during her undergraduate years at the College as Jackie Meadows. And that's one of the aspects of Jackie's life that makes her time at Williams so...
Jon Myers — Inventor & AI Entrepreneur
This episode of A Williams Life will take us on a journey from the banks of the Mississippi, to Williamstown, to the bond trading world of Wall Street, and finally to the dazzling universe of artificial intelligence. Our guide will be ...
Reggie Garrett — SnakeOil Peddler
This episode of A Williams Life features a conversation with Reggie Garrett, a Seattle-based singer/songwriter, who plays a wide range of music, including folk, blues, Celtic and more, with individual musicians as well as his band The ...
Polly Wood-Holland — Scenic Artist
Polly Wood-Holland is a scenic artist and designer for film, TV, and theater. She's worked on many iconic Broadway productions, including The Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, Spamalot, and Mary Poppins. On th...
Will Parish & Perk Perkins — Adventure Friends
On this episode of "A Williams Life," we delve into the enduring friendship of classmates Will Parish and Perk Perkins, whose bond spans 50 years. Starting in the fall of 1975, they embarked on a 20-month journey, crossing five oceans and seas,...
Pamela Hawkes — Preservation Architect
Pamela Hawkes is a national leader in historic preservation. On this episode, she discusses her time at Williams, early inspirations, and takes us on a tour of three projects—the renovation of the Crandall Public Library in Glens Falls, NY, the...
Frank Richards — Tropical Disease Fighter
Dr. Frank "Rick" Richards is a world-leading expert on parasitic and tropical infections. He's traveled to some of the poorest and most remote locations of our planet to fight diseases that have harmed millions. During his long tenure at the Ca...
Denise Littlefield Sobel — Philanthropist
Denise Littlefield Sobel takes us on a highly personal journey through her varied and interesting life. It starts with her experience as a member of the first class of women to enroll at Williams for a full four-year term. Denise talks candidly...
Frank Doelger — TV Producer
Frank Doelger is a multiple Emmy Award-winning TV producer whose credits include HBO’s Game of Thrones, Rome, and John Adams. Frank begins by talking about Williams and the professors who had an early influence on his...
How Harry almost didn’t get the job
Williams was the only college where Harry wanted to coach basketball. Fortuitously, in 1983, an opening occurred. After a lengthy interview process, Williams offered the position to a different coach—who, fortunately for Harry, turned it down f...
Harry Sheehy — Part II: Reflections After a Heart Attack
In September 2021, four months after recording A Williams Life, Harry suffered a life-threatening heart attack. During bypass surgery, he had a stroke that resulted in his becoming almost completely blind. While Harry has been re...
Harry Sheehy — Part I: A Williams Sports Icon
Harry Sheehy is the former head men's basketball coach and athletic director at Williams College. In this interview, he talks about his time in Williamstown as a child and young adult, often accompanied by his father (Williams '51). He discusse...