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Charles David Williams was an American painter and illustrator during the early 20th century.

Williams was born in New York City on August 12, 1875. At the age of twelve he finished the seventh grade and became an errand boy in the editorial office of a syndicated newspaper. That same company also had an editorial office in Chicago. After a few years of working his way up the ladder, he was transferred in 1892 to Chicago, where he joined the staff as a newspaper artist. In 1893 at the age of eighteen, Williams began his art career as an illustrator in Chicago newspapers. In 1898 he had joined the art staff of The Saturday Evening Post.

In 1900 the artist received sensational notoriety when he was mistakenly arrested for molesting a young woman. His reputation was widely promoted in newspaper accounts of the subsequent trial, including one noteworthy lampoon by journalist Leigh Bierce (1874-1901), the son of Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914).

On April 27, 1901 he was married to Josephine E. Black. They moved to a country home in New Rochelle, NY, a well known artist colony that was particularly fashionable for prominent illustrators, such as Joseph & Frank Leyendecker, Norman Rockwell and Howard Chandler Christy. While living in New Rochelle he became fascinated with golf, as did several other local artists, including George Kerr, Rube Goldberg (1883-1970) and Fontaine Fox (1884-1964).

On January 27, 1910 he became a founding member of the Society of Illustrators of New York along with Charles Dana Gibson (1867-1944), Frank DuMond (1865-1951) and Lejaren Hiller.

His illustrations appeared in national magazines, such as Collier's, The Saturday Evening Post, American, and The Ladies Home Journal. He painted covers for pulp magazines, with his work appearing on The Cavalier, Blue Book, The Argosy, All-Story, All-Story Weekly, and All-Story Love. He also drew interior pen and ink illustrations for pulp magazines, such as Munsey's Magazine and All-Story Love.

In 1937 he began to teach Illustration at the National Academy of Design at 1083 Fifth Avenue near 89th Street.

Charles D. Williams died at the age of seventy-eight on January 10, 1954.