Editor's Note: Ben Ames Williams was one of the distinguished individuals to be inducted into the Jackson City Schools' Hall of Honor.

Author, Ben Ames Williams, was born in Macon, Mississippi on March 7, 1889, the son of Daniel and Sarah Ames Williams. In July, 1889, the family returned to Jackson, Ohio where his father was owner and editor of The Jackson Standard Journal for the next 34 years.

Ben attended Central School on Broadway Street in Jackson. In 1905, when Ben was 15 years old, the family moved to Wales when his father was appointed the American Consul to Cardiff by President Theodore Roosevelt.

After returning from Wales, Ben attended Allen Preparatory School in Massachusetts and from there entered Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. While at Allen School, he met Florence Talpey. Following her graduation from Wellesley College in 1912, she and Ben were married on Sept. 4, 1912. They had three children, Roger Chilton (deceased), Ben Ames, Jr., who now resides in Massachusetts, and Penelope Ann Williams Wardwell, who lives in Maine.

Early in his career, Mr. Williams briefly managed The Jackson Standard Journal before accepting a position as a reporter for The Boston American. However, his real interest was in the writing of short stories. His first published short story, "The Wings of Lias," appeared in the July 1915 issue of Smith's Magazine. Over the next two years more of his stories began appearing in magazines such as Smith's, All-Story Weekly and American Boy.

A turning point in his career came when his story, "The Mate of Susie Oaks," was accepted for publication in The Saturday Evening Post and he was able to become a full-time professional writer.

By the year 1919, he had achieved the degree of success that he had sought for eight years. Four of his stories and an eight-part serial appeared in The Saturday Evening Post. The transition from short stories to novels also occurred with the publication of All the Brothers Were Valiant.

Williams lived during the winter months at Chestnut Hill near Boston and from May to December at his farm in Maine. He was always up before dawn and would work from seven to eight hours before noon seven days a week. He did not use a typewriter; he used his fountain pen. He sat at his desk or in his wide-arm chair in the barn during the warm weather and before the fireplace in the living room in the cold weather, carefully researching the subject of his next book.

His writings ranged over a wide variety of fields: adventure (The Silver Forest), psychological studies (Leave Her to Heaven), historical novels (House Divided), and regional studies (Owen Glen, which was set in Jackson County). Two of his novels, The Strange Woman and Leave Her to Heaven, became successful motion pictures.

Producer Samuel Goldwyn adapted two other stories by Williams into motion pictures as well. They were featured at the Victory Theatre on Main Street in Jackson in 1920. "Jubilio" was an action film starring Will Rogers and "The Great Accident" was a story set in Jackson and Jackson County.

Williams' last literary work was The Unconquered, a sequel to House Divided. It was completed in January of 1953. The next month, on Feb. 3, 1953, Ben Ames Williams died at the age of 62. Florence Talpey Williams survived her husband by 17 years. During that time she authored the book, All About Da, a book describing Ben Ames Williams for the family.

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Courtesy of the Jackson City School District