Bowen Law Library Employee Reflects on Longtime Career at UA Little Rock
On Aug. 20, Curtis Williams celebrated his 34th anniversary at the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law.
Surrounded by his many friends and colleagues, Williams stated how happy he is to be starting his 35th year at Bowen.
“I never thought when I started working here at this day back in 1990 that I would make it this long,” Williams said. “Through discipline, hard work, and dedication, I am still here and still growing.”
Williams graduated from UA Little Rock with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts in 1988. He joined Bowen as a library academic technician in 1990 and said he enjoys the chance to explore the many different legal cases housed in Bowen’s law library.
“There’s a vast collection of cases downstairs, and I keep myself pretty busy,” Williams said. “It’s never a dull moment at the law school and the law library in particular.”
Melissa Serfass, an electronic resources librarian who has worked with Williams for 32 years, described him as a very hard worker.
“He’s a great colleague,” Serfass said. “The two people who were his immediate supervisors both sang his praises about the quality of his work and his dedication to the law school and the library. He almost never missed a day of work.”
In the late 90s and early 2000s, Williams became quite famous around campus for being such a huge Trojans sports fan.
“He was never officially affiliated with any of the teams, but he was at every game,” said Jessie Burchfield, associate dean for information and technology services and law library director. “He would dance with the cheerleaders and do backflips across the gym floor during half-time.”
Williams became known as “the man in plaid” around campus sporting events.
“Back in the 1990s, they had those famous plaid sports coats that I would wear to every game, and the name stuck all these years, like a badge of honor,” Williams said.
Williams and his friends and co-workers were treated to a video of him from the early 2010s dancing in an excited crowd of students during a basketball game. To celebrate his love of the game, Little Rock Athletics gifted Williams with a special basketball signed by Coach Steve Wiedower and Coach Darrell Walker.
“This is quite an achievement,” Bowen Dean Colin Crawford said. “We are so pleased to be able to work with you. We all very much appreciate your good humor, your good company, your good work ethic, and your responsiveness.”
Sarah Harbour, director of admissions at Bowen, started law school the same year that Williams started working at Bowen. She said that it was good to see a familiar face when she returned to work at Bowen last year, and that Williams is just the same as she remembers.
“He is very pleasant to work with, very reliable, very fun, and he’s got a good sense of humor,” Harbour said.
In addition to his important work anniversary, Williams has plenty to celebrate this year. In July, Williams and his sister were able to move into an apartment in the Quapaw neighborhood that is within walking distance of both of their jobs. A few years ago, a fire burned down the Williams’ family home, and he is very grateful that they have a new place to call home.
“My sister and I both lived in an extended stay hotel for a year and at Our House Shelter for two years until we found this new apartment in July,” Williams said. “It’s nice and quiet at night and allows you to get plenty of rest. This experience encouraged me to get off my backside and move forward. There is no telling how far you can go.”
