Benjamin Williams

Administration, Administrator, English, History
805-684-4127 x:0290
Ben_Williams@cate.org

BA, Williams College
MA, Brown University

In September 1997, the board of trustees chose Benjamin Williams IV as Cate's eighth headmaster. The selection turned out to be a perfect fit for the Cate community as well as for the Williams family. Ben Williams' life has centered around schools; he grew up at Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts, the son of the headmaster.

Ben received a BA in American Studies from Williams College, where he also served as captain of the men's crew team.

After a two-year stint in corporate finance with First Boston in New York, assisting in the oversight of investment portfolios worth over 28 billion dollars, Ben returned to education with a teaching position at St. Sebastian's School in Massachusetts. There he taught English and US history, coached several sports, and was the school's director of development.

During his six-year stay at St. Sebastian's, Ben attended graduate school at Brown University and earned a Master's in American Civilization. In 1993, he and his family (wife Ginger, children Ben and Grace) moved to Houston, Texas, when he took a job as the dean of the middle and upper schools at St. John's School. He eventually became the head of the upper school, and during this time he stayed connected with the students in both the classroom and on the athletic fields by teaching English and coaching soccer.