David B. Williams, who served as the first director of Cornell's International Students Office (now the International Students and Scholars Office -- ISSO) for more than 30 years, died in June in Asheville, N.C. He was 84.

Williams was well known for his commitment to Cornell's international community, and in 1979, he began work on what was to become the university's first International Alumni Affairs Office. "Cornell has more than 13,000 foreign alumni, many of whom have lost touch with the university. This program will be aimed at establishing better communications between the university and its foreign alumni," he said. William continued to work at connecting former students with one another and to the university for the last eight years of his career.

In 1993, the David B. and Lois Williams 50th Wedding Anniversary Scholarship was established to assist worthy undergraduate students at Cornell and to honor the Williams' commitment to Cornell. Since its inception, the fund has assisted four students with scholarships totaling $33,000. Williams is survived by two sons, who request that gifts in the memory be made to the scholarship in order to perpetuate the legacy that David and Lois Williams were committed to.

The ISSO was founded in 1936 to assist individual international students and foreign academic staff and their families with advice on federal immigration, tax and labor regulations on personal, academic and cultural matters and to promote the benefits of international educational exchange in general.

Williams served as a counselor to Cornell's foreign students beginning in 1956 and also worked with students, staff and faculty on campus who were involved in international programs. He also served tirelessly his entire career on behalf of the international NFSA as board member and speaker.

He also served on numerous committees in universitywide activities to ensure that the international student community was broadly included and supported. He and his wife, Lois, who died in 1993, hosted countless students at their home during their 45 years of association with Cornell, said Catheryn Obern, a Cornell Major Gifts public affairs officer who also was a friend of the Williams' family.

Contributions to the scholarship fund should be sent to the attention of Obern, Major Gifts, 130 E. Seneca St., Suite 400, Ithaca, N.Y. Credit card donations can be made to Cornell's online gift system via http://www.alumni.cornell.edu/secure/giving/online_giving.cfm. Note the David B. and Lois Williams 50th Wedding Anniversary Scholarship in the comment line and request that a copy be sent to Obern. For more information, contact Obern at (607) 254-7183, email co11@cornell.edu.