Dr. Williams served for 45 years as a teacher of insurance and risk management at several universities in the United States and abroad. He is best known for his association with the University of Minnesota, where he served as an associate dean and later as dean of the College of Business Administration as well as chairman of the Finance and Insurance Department.
The college’s Industry Chair of Insurance was renamed the C. Arthur Williams Jr. Insurance Industry Chair upon his retirement in 1992.
Mr. Williams is the author of 124 publications, including textbooks, technical articles and research studies. " An International Comparison of Workers’ Compensation Systems", published in 1991, is regarded as the landmark work in the field of workers compensation.
Besides his academic experience, Mr. Williams also served on the boards of directors of The St. Paul Companies and the American Hardware Mutual Insurance Company.