The American Academy in Rome mourns the passing of Charles K. Williams II, a Trustee Emeritus of the Academy, longtime Director of the Corinth Excavations of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, and former Chair of the Board of Trustees of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. He died on September 16, 2026, at age ninety-six.
Charles was a generous friend to the American Academy in Rome. He served as a Trustee from 1996-2001 and 2013-2017, and was subsequently named a Trustee Emeritus. His gifts supported the Library and Archives, including the Photographic Archive and the Academy’s work in archaeology; and the Academy’s Adele Chatfield-Taylor Rome Prize.
"Charles was truly a Renaissance man," said C. Brian Rose (1992 Fellow, 2012 Resident), the James B. Pritchard Professor of Archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania, and Trustee Emeritus of the American Academy in Rome. "He supported archaeological projects in Turkey, Greece, and Italy, and completely transformed our understanding of ancient Corinth, where he served as site Director for 31 years. He was also an enthusiastic supporter of the AAR, especially the digital resources in the Photographic Archive."
Originally trained as an architect, he received his B.A. and M.F.A. from Princeton University, worked in the office of Philip Johnson, and began his archaeological work as the architect for Alan Wace at Mycenae. He received his PhD in Classical Archaeology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1978, and as a student he worked at Morgantina, Sicily, and Gordion, Turkey.
Charles first came to Corinth in 1962 as a student of the American School, held two fellowships there, and in 1966 became the first full-time Director of the site, a role he held until 1997. The training program was formalized under his leadership, and the digitization of the site’s records was begun. He worked across the whole of the vast site, from the Iron Age through the late Frankish period, and he is remembered as a generous teacher who trained generations of students in the field. During his time as the Director, he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Archaeological Institute of America in 1993.
Charles had been involved with the American School for sixty-four years. He joined its Board of Trustees in 1997 and served as Chair from 2002 to 2011, and until a few months before his death he was at work on the publication of the Roman frescoes from Corinth.
In a statement after his passing, the American School said that Charles, though a modest man who sought to deflect attention from himself, was recognized by the entire School community as “a towering figure, one of the American School’s greatest scholars, teachers, and benefactors.”
In May 2025 the Municipality of Corinth honored him with its Gold Medal in recognition of his commitment to uncovering the ancient city. He was an honorary Greek citizen and a resident of Corinth.
The American Academy in Rome extends its deepest condolences to Charles' family and to his many friends and colleagues at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens and beyond.