Edward Bennett Williams

Edward Bennett Williams (May 31, 1920 – August 13, 1988) was an American lawyer and businessman who co-founded the law firm of Williams & Connolly. He was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and received his undergraduate degree from the College of the Holy Cross before studying law at Georgetown University. Williams was the acting owner of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) from 1969 until 1974. He also served as treasurer of the Democratic National Committee from 1974 to 1977. Williams later owned the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1979 until his death. Career in law Williams represented many high-profile clients, including Sam Giancana, John Hinckley Jr., Frank Sinatra, former Governor of Texas and Secretary of the Treasury John B. Connally Jr., financier Robert Vesco, Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner, Jimmy Hoffa, organized crime figure Frank Costello, oil commodity trader Marc Rich, U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy, corporate raider Victor Posner, Michael Milken, The Washington Post newspaper, the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, former CIA director Richard Helms, Bobby Baker, The Washington Post, various FBI agents accused of bag jobs in New York, and Aldo Icardi, an OSS agent accused of killing his commander. Williams, who was a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and Georgetown University Law Center, successfully defended—among others—Adam Clayton Powell Jr., the Teamsters Union, John Connally and, as one of his last clients, Michael Milken. Two of Williams' closest friends were The Washington Post'''s Art Buchwald and Ben Bradlee. His debating team partner at Holy Cross was Robert Maheu, Howard Hughes's right-hand man for many years.