Alfred M. (Alfred Mason) Williams

Born in Taunton, Massachusetts, in 1840, Alfred Mason Williams studied at Brown before poor eyesight interrupted his college work. During the Civil War he enlisted in a Massachusetts regiment and wrote letters from the front, beginning a career in journalism that would continue for the rest of his life.

After the war, he worked as a writer and editor, including contributions to major magazines such as The Atlantic. He also spent time in Ireland as a foreign correspondent, an experience that deepened his interest in Irish literature and traditional culture.

Williams is best remembered for books such as The Poets and Poetry of Ireland and Studies in Folk-Song and Popular Poetry, works that helped introduce readers to older verse and song traditions with warmth and curiosity. He died in 1896 in the West Indies, leaving behind a body of writing that bridges reporting, scholarship, and literary appreciation.