Dr. Thomas Williams research on citizen science and astronomy

Born in California in 1934, Dr. Williams received his undergraduate education at Arizona State College (now University) in Tempe graduating with a B.S. in Chemistry. He was employed for 36.5 years by Shell Oil Company, serving most of that time in management of chemical plant operations and in headquarters positions in industrial chemicals, lubricants, and refining planning. His final 14 years were as Environmental Conservation Manager for products operations (refineries, chemical plants, marketing and transportation facilities). As an amateur astronomer, Dr. Williams reported his observations of variable stars, comets, lunar and asteroid occultations and solar eclipses to relevant scientific organizations for two decades. As one tool encourage to encourage others to join in scientific observing, he described the history of the scientific contributions of amateur astronomers. After completing a course in the history of astronomy taught by Rice University professor Albert Van Helden it became apparent that the history of amateur contributions to astronomy offered an attractive opportunity to pursue in retirement. He retired at the end of 1992 and entered Rice University as a graduate student in the History Department. after successfully defending his dissertation, Getting Organized-A History of Amateur Astronomy in the United States, he was awarded a PhD in History from Rice University in 2000. After graduation, Dr. Williams served as an editor of the Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers published by Springer in 2007 (second edition-2014); and co-authored with Dr. Michael Saladyga a book, Advancing Variable Star Astronomy, the Centennial History of the American Association of Variable Star Observers published by Cambridge University Press in 2011. He has also authored book chapters and entries in encyclopedias and dictionaries, authored papers and book reviews published in several peer reviewed journals and in popular periodicals and delivered invited and contributed papers at international as well as domestic professional and public meetings.