Joe Williams, former CEO of Pipeline Giant, Dies at 89

Joseph H. “Joe” Williams, former chairman and CEO of The Williams Cos., and the last member of the Williams family to lead the company, died April 27 at age 89, the company said.

Williams was the son of David Williams, a co-founder of the pipeline giant, and succeeded his cousin as CEO in 1979. He retired in 1994.

“Joe was the last family member to lead the company and felt a real stewardship responsibility with regard to that,” said Keith Bailey, who succeeded Joe Williams and was chairman and CEO from 1994 to 2002.

Williams guided the company through the “oil bust” of the late 1980s and early ’90s with reset goals and restructuring. His commitment to technology led Williams Cos. to become the first in the pipeline sector to use satellite communications for field operations.

While CEO, the company acquired the Northwest Pipeline, a 1,500-mile natural gas pipe system that has grown to 3,900 miles. The bi-directional transmission system supplies the western U.S., passing through Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado with capacity of 3.8 Bcf/d. 

“Joe was a great leader and set Williams up for long term success with his ability to focus on the horizon,” Alan Armstrong, current Williams president and CEO, said in a statement announcing the death. “He had the right mix of optimism for the future and hard nose questioning of the status quo to keep the organization both inspired and on its toes. His intellectual curiosity kept the company truly embracing change for the opportunities it offered.”

In the late 1980s, Joe Williams spearheaded efforts to purchase the 29,000-acre Barnard Ranch. The former ranch subsequently became the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. It is the Oklahoma flagship sanctuary of the state’s Nature Conservancy. It has grown to 40,000 acres and is home to 2,500 bison, which roam 23,500 acres of open range. It is also home to research of native grass species and wildlife.

Joe Williams served as chair of the state and then the national Nature Conservancy.

“The Williams culture of doing things right and taking care of the environment is alive and well today thanks to Joe’s strong leadership and foresight,” Armstrong said.

Williams is survived by his wife, Terry, three sons and two stepdaughters; Joseph H. Williams, Jr.; Peter B. Williams; James C. Williams; Margot T. Rose; Jennifer B. Ross; and seven grandchildren.