BIO: Frank M. Williams; New York State
surname: Williams, Staring

submitted by W. David Samuelsen (no relation)
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Copyright.  All rights reserved.
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An Illustrated Legislative Manual
The New York Red Book
Containing the Portraits and Biographies of the U.S. Senators, Governor, State
Officers and Members of the Legislature; also with the Portraits of Judges and
Court Reporters, the New Constitution of the State, Election and Population
Statistics, and General Facts of Interest.
By Edgar L. Murlin
New Constitution Compiled by R. C. Cumming, O. L. Potter and F. B. Gilbert
Published, Albany, J. B. Lyon Company, Publishers, 1909

Copyright by J. B. Lyon Company, 1909

     Frank M. Williams, State Engineer, was born in Durhamville, N.Y., April
11, 1873. He is of Welsh and Mohawk Dutch descent, his maternal ancestry,
members of the Staring family, having played an important part in the early
development of the Mohawk Valley and having produced many prominent men during
the Colonial and Revolutionary period.

     He entered Colgate University in the Fall of 1891 and was graduated in
1895, with commencement honors and membership in the honorary fraternity of
Phi Beta Kappa. During his college course he took an active interest in
athletics and was elected president of the Intercollegiate Baseball
Association.

     Mr. Williams began the study of law in the office of the Hon. T. J.
Durham, at Oneida, supplementing this with a course at the Syracuse University
College of Law, from which institution he was graduated with the class of
1897, with the degree of LL.B., having completed the two-year course in one.

     Mr. Williams did not take up the active practice of law, but entered the
Department of the State Engineer and Surveyor and was engaged on canal
construction until the Spring of 1898.

     He rose step by step through the various civil service grades to the
position of Resident Engineer, which position he held for some time and which
was the highest position in the State Engineer's Department, which the civil
service covered. In his capacity as Resident Engineer he had charge of making
surveys, plans and superintending the constructio of millions of dollars'
worth of State work, including State roads and river improvements. He had
charge of some of the most important residencies of the State, among them
being the Goshen Reisdency, including the counties of Orange, Ulster,
Rockland, Delaware and Sullivan and the Buffalo Residency, including the
counties of Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Wyoming.

     He is thoroughly acquainted with the duties and details of the State
Engineer's Office and is noted as being a first-class executive officer. For
some months previous to his election as State Engineer Mr. Williams had not
been engaged in work fo rthe State Engineer's Department, but had returned to
Oneida and opened an engineering office.

     Mr. Williams was enthusiastically indorsed for State Engineer by the
Barge Canal Associations and practically every canal interest of the State, as
well as the Boards of Trades of the so-called canal cities, including New York
and Buffalo.

     Nominated for State Engineer in 1908 he received 838,158 votes to
698,077 votes cast for Philip P. Farley, Democrat.