Hawks Hall of Fame
Playing center, Williams became a presence in the paint for the Hawks under Nate Taylor, the all-time winningest coach during the Maryland State-UMES era.
Alongside frontcourt greats like Trent Harris and Wilbur Smith, Williams helped pace the Hawks to a 70-27 record during his playing days, earning the right to play in the NAIA National Tournament in the 1959-60 season. He averaged 8.2 points per game and finished with 251 rebounds that year. He was inducted into the UMES Hall of Fame in 2004.
He was a staunch supporter of UMES athletics, helping as a fundraiser for several facility upgrades, including locker room renovations and organizing the formation of the Thunderin' Hawks Pep Band. In 2009 the university created the Jesse T. Williams Homecoming Hawk Award. Known for his fiery spirit and hustle on and off the court when he played collegiately, the award is given each year to the male and female student-athlete who most exemplifies his spirit in the annual Homecoming Game.
He and his wife also support several academic scholarship funds as well as student and faculty development programs.
Williams was an active congregant in the Cornerstone Fellowship Baptist Church and is a lifetime member of the NAACP, Phi Beta Sigma and Sigma Pi Phi fraternities.
The university named the playing surface in the Hytche Athletic Center the "Jesse T. Williams Sr. Court in 2015 to honor all the amazing work and service that Williams has dedicated to both the school and the Delmarva community.Â
