So it was probably fitting that the longtime U. professor, who inspired countless numbers of students to enter careers in government and public service, filled a good chunk of Kingsbury Hall on Saturday as family, friends, former pupils and well wishers gathered to honor him.

Williams, the first director of the U.'s Hinckley Institute of Politics, died of cancer Sept. 3. He was 81.

"His passion for his students was unmatched," said U. president Michael Young, one of several speakers at the memorial service. "He saw sloppily dressed, sleepy-eyed students as mayors, senators, presidents."

The outspoken Williams was known for his abundant sense of humor and for not being afraid to publicly share his political beliefs - such as calling for impeachment of two Republican presidents - that many times contrasted sharply with the majority view in largely conservative Utah.

Those speaking at the memorial service also talked about his passion, over 40 years of teaching political science, for helping students succeed while at the U. and after graduation.

He noticed their strengths. He encouraged them to do better. And he was a tireless promoter of his students, calling on those he knew in the community to offer up internships and jobs to help his students get their start.

"He called us all by name and remembered us all, years later," said Sharlene Linford, one of the many former students who kept in touch with Williams for decades after graduation.

Williams also was a sought-after public speaker, keeping audiences at rapt attention.

Linford said she recalled hearing Williams speak for the first time in 1968 on an autumn day of her freshman year. He had talked about "falling in love with ideas" and she said she was captivated.

"His lectures were meticulously prepared and eloquently delivered," she said.

Williams, an East High School graduate who earned an undergraduate degree from Stanford in 1946, began teaching at the U. in 1952 after earning a P.H.D. in political science from Harvard. In 1965, he was named founding director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics in 1965. Three years later, in 1968, he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the U.S. Senate as a Democrat.

Former Salt Lake City Mayor Ted Wilson said Williams doted on his students, friends and family, never forgetting to celebrate a birthday or achievement or to help someone cope with sorrow.

He also enjoyed anonymous acts of kindness, Wilson said.

"We'd be having dinner and he say to the waitress, 'See that couple over there?' Bring them some ice cream sundaes and don't tell them who they're from,'" Wilson said.

Williams is survived by his wife Barbara, "Bea", and four children: Robert, of Salt Lake City, Gil (Cindy), of Midway, Taylor (Sheryl) and Kimberly (John) D'agostino, of Parker, Col.; 11 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and brother Rex.