He studied economics at Western Reserve College, the University of Wisconsin, and Columbia University before joining the New York Public Library in 1911 as the head of a new Division of Economics.

[2] In 1919, he initiated a study of the training for library service in the United States for the Carnegie Foundation.

Known as the "Williamson Report," the project was completed in 1921 and published in as Training for Library Service.

In 1999, Williamson was named as one of 100 American librarians who made a lasting impact on library service and the nation.

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