Upon his graduation with distinction from Adelbert College of Western Reserve University in 1892, he was appointed Assistant Librarian of Hatch Library at WRU.

Two years later, he was promoted to librarian of Hatch Library until 1909, when he resigned to assume the responsibility of the Principal of M Street High School in Washington, D.C.

[5][6] Edward received his education in the public schools of Cleveland, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Adelbert College of Western Reserve University in 1892.

He gave a lecture in 1928 in a session of ALA's College and Reference titled "Library Needs of Negro Institutions" and was involved in planning the first conference for African American librarians, held at Fisk University in 1930.

His works include: The Exile (an Italian classical drama), The Sheriff's Children, The Chasm, and many articles, poems and short stories published in The Messenger between 1925 and 1927.

Williams' main writings were based on the problems of Washington's black society as in his novel The Letters of Davy Carr, a True Story of Colored Vanity Fair, serialized in The Messenger from January 1925 to July 1926.

[10] The Letters of Davy Carr was rediscovered by scholar Adam McKible and published as When Washington Was in Vogue in 2004, establishing Williams' place in the canon of Harlem Renaissance literature.

[11][12][13] Williams was preparing for advanced studies to earn the first Ph.D. in library science offered by Columbia University, when he died unexpectedly on December 24, 1929, at Freedmen's Hospital.

He was raising the problems and challenges faced by the black people libraries as deteriorated buildings, shortage in staff and lack of funding at every convention.

E. J. Josey celebrated Williams' career and achievements in his 1969 article: Edward Christopher Williams' life was not a mere life for us to let pass into oblivion historically, for it was a vast spectacle of scholarly achievements in writing, translating, and understanding the complex problems of libraries; and, it was also a panorama of prodigious teaching and motivation to lead his students to excellence in librarianship … [16]In 1999, American Libraries named him one of the "100 Most Important Leaders We Had in the 20th Century".