The students get to make up their own schedules and can come into the lab which is open 24 hours a day. Clay Squire '80, Williams' administrative assistant and "executive officer," said Squire did research for Williams for two years after he had been "just looking for a job." His work led to an interest in the whole field. Squire, who is in charge of hiring, the budget; and helping the training of students, is also doing his own independent research. Under his command are volunteers and work-study students, as well as students enrolled in research courses or tutorials.

The students all appreciate the opportunity to actually participate in an actual scientific laboratory. Joan M. Corsiglia '82 has been doing research since her junior year and says that "Williams has been really great and encouraged me all the time." Corsigiia, who is currently writing her thesis under Williams, has found her experience in the lab invaluable because of Williams' personal interest in her work and his willingness to criticize openly.

Freshman Helen Guerin, who started working for Williams in the fall, plans to start work on an individual project in a couple of weeks. She spent first semester working in the labs and in the factory and is now learning specific techniques to enable her to get started on a project. Guerin finds Williams "really nice, dynamic, and witty at teas."

Not only is Williams, the man, an institution but so are his daily teas. While talking of Williams, every person mentioned his afternoon teas, where any topic of conversation is brought up. Drinking tea and eating cookies, Williams and his students, colleagues, and frequent special guests talk about people's special projects, politics, his trip up the Amazon, silk in Japan, or any miscellaneous topic that comes to mind. Even Williams' own work is analyzed by his visitors at tea and everyone says he takes the criticism very well.

Williams established his teas in 1950 and his guests could provide a who's who in the scientific world. Numerous Nobel laureates drop by including many international scientists such as August Krogh, Hans Boethe and Jaque Monod. The teas give Williams a chance to exhibit his enormous range of knowledge and provide an opportunity for students to participate in discussions with professors on a relatively informal basis. Kafatos said even in the early '60s. Williams' teas were legendary. Corsiglia said she never knows who will show up and that she is constantly amazed at the spectacularly broad knowledge of science discussed.

And about his own teas, Williams comments that the place "is full of everyone, visiting professors and dignitaries, we bring everyone into the act." Williams is a strong proponent of diversity and belongs to numerous associations such as the National Academy of Sciences, in which he is chairman of the Biological Sciences section, the American Philosophical Society, and the Cambridge Scientific Club--the oldest dining club in America.

Williams has five more years left before his retirement, and he plans to "have the best of all possible worlds. But I don't have to learn very much more because I know most of it already. "Continuing his wide-range of activities as well as doing some new research are in the crystal ball for Williams, who says "It does pay off, working for a long time."

For example, his discovery of the "paper factor"--the ability of certain organisms to develop natural defenses against insects--led to the multi-million dollar pesticide industry.