Archives of David Owen Williams

Identity Statement [Top]

Reference code(s)

CERN-ARCH-DOW-001 to 269

Title

Archives of David Owen Williams

Date(s)

September 1962 to March 2006

Level of description

Sub-fonds

Extent of the unit of description

269 items, 103 boxes, 12 linear metres

Context [Top]

Name of creator

David Owen Williams

Biographical history

Born in 1944, David Owen Williams came to CERN from the University of Cambridge in 1966, with a degree in physics and a Masters in computer science to join the Documents and Data Handling Division (DD). He worked first on software for analysis of bubble chamber photographs. He subsequently led the group that supported experiments with 'hybrids' of bubble chambers and electronic detectors, and then the group supporting online computing in experiments.

He became deputy leader of DD in 1985 and then leader in 1989. In 1990 DD Division became Computing and Networks (CN) Division. He held this position until 1996.

He strongly supported the development of the Internet in Europe, not just as a tool for scientific research but also as a motor for Europe's overall economic development.

In 1996 CN division was discontinued. David Williams became coordinator of CERN's relations with the European Union (until 2006), in the Directorate Service Unit (DSU).

From 1999 to 2003, he was president of the Trans-European Research and Education Networking Association (TERENA). He was also a member of various UK committees dealing with e-science and was chair of the e-Science Advisory Board of the UK's Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils.

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Valeria Pietropaolo in October 2007

Content & Structure [Top]

Scope and content

The David Williams collection covers the period when he was coordinator of CERN's relations with the European Union. His mission was to coordinate the relations between CERN and the institutions of the European Union, and to overview the participation of CERN in various EU Programmes for scientific and technological cooperation.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information

Nothing was destroyed.

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

System of arrangement

The original order has been preserved.

Conditions of access and use [Top]

Conditions governing access

See file level description and the CERN operational circular No 3: rules applicable to archival material and archiving at CERN. In general, records on any subject that are over 30 years old, and all records of a purely scientific nature, may be consulted.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright is retained by CERN, no reproduction without permission.

Language / scripts of material

Most of the material is written in English and some in French.

Finding aids

Listed to file level in the CERN Archives Database.

Description control [Top]

Archivist's note

Description prepared by Claudio De Gregorio. Revised by Sonia Manai in 2014

Date(s) of description

Geneva, the 5th May 2008.