#1Famous people · Williamstown
Williamstown, birthplace of Matthew Perry and 27 more famous people
The American-Canadian actor Matthew Perry is written about in 92 languages. Behind the leader come Florence Bascom and John Bennett Perry. Leaders are unusually common here: 12, 2.1 times the usual share. Nathan Williams (1773) and Matthew Perry (1969) mark the two ends of the list.
Born here
28
notable people
Best known
Matthew Perry
in 92 Wikipedia languages
First
1773
Nathan Williams
Youngest
1969
Matthew Perry
Most common field
Politics & Law
12 people
Also called it home
5
notable residents
What stands out about Williamstown’s famous people
Known worldwideRead in 92 languages, Matthew Perry is known far beyond the town.A town of leaders12 of the 28 people born here are leaders, 2.1× the usual share.Deep roots12 were born before 1850, the first in 1773.A chosen home5 more notable people chose to live in Williamstown, including Elizabeth Kolbert.
★ What stands out · The best known
Born in Williamstown
Two of the three are performers.
#1
#2JP#3
Known for
What Williamstown is known for
The field furthest above the usual share is business people, at 4.2 times.
The usual town: the share across everyone born in the towns gathered so far. Tap a field to see its people.
Through the years
When Williamstown’s famous people were born
Count by decade and the 1860s come out on top, with 4 births.
Politics & LawFilm, TV & StageScience & MedicineSportsBusinessWriting & ArtsMusicNotable
Each dot is a person, stacked by the decade they were born.
Everyone
Everyone else born in Williamstown
Another 25, 12 of them leaders.
Henry Hopkins
1837–1908President of Williams College; American Congregationalist pastor
Politics & LawWikipedia ↗
Bill Leete
born 1940American football player and coach, baseball player and coach, college athletics administrator
SportsWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
A chosen home
Also called Williamstown home
5 notable people born elsewhere made the town home, Elizabeth Kolbert the best known.
Robert Sterling Clark
1877–1956American art collector, horse breeder and philanthropist
BusinessWikipedia ↗
The town’s pick
Town Square →Who’s the most famous person from Williamstown?
Pick one and say why. Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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Next door
Famous people from the towns next door
Of the towns around it, North Adams has the most on record: 39.
From Wikidata and Wikipedia: people whose birthplace is Williamstown and whose English Wikipedia article agrees, ranked by how many Wikipedia languages cover each person. People known mainly for crimes, and adult performers, aren’t listed. “The usual town” = everyone born in the towns gathered so far.
Photo credits (19)
- Matthew Perry: Valerie Jarrett / @vj44 via X (Twitter), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Florence Bascom: Camera Craft Studios, Minneapolis, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Carol Holloway: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Albert Cummings: Tosty Diwan, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- William L. Alden: Harper's Weekly, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Nathan Williams: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- William J. Bacon: Oneida Historical Society, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Bernard Blair: Crisfield Johnson, author. Everts & Ensign (Philadelphia), publisher., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- David Woodcock: Thomas W. Burns, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Charles Cooper Nott, Jr.: The original uploader was Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ) at English Wikipedia., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- William Johnson: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Charles Hamilton Sabin: Bain News Service, publisher, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Charles Noble: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Henry Hopkins: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Richard Fowle Treadway: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Robert Sterling Clark: William Orpen, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ilana Harris-Babou: Black Lunch Table, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Will Durant: Bill Murphy, Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Susan B. Anthony: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons