cash and the assumption of $700,000 of debt.) He served as chairman of the company until 1986, and he remained extensively involved with the company, overseeing merchandise selection, conducting public appearances, and writing cookbooks, for the remainder of his life. The company went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1983. Contributions to cooking Williams operated a test kitchen at Williams-Sonoma corporate headquarters in San Francisco, where recipes are tested for the company's catalogs and cookbooks. He was an editor or contributor to nearly every cookbook that Williams-Sonoma has thus far released, including the large multi-volume Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library set, co-published by Time-Life Books. The series includes over 40 volumes and has sold nearly 10 million copies. Williams was the sole author of another Time-Life/Williams Sonoma series, Simple Cooking, which comprised Simple American Cooking, Simple French Cooking, and Simple Italian Cooking, as well as a "best of" collection with selections from all three. All told, Williams was involved with the production of more than 100 cookbooks that have sold over 100 million copies worldwide. He also initiated scholarships for promising students in the field of culinary arts through several organizations, including the Culinary Institute of America. In addition to his involvement with The Culinary Institute of America, Williams served on the board of the American Institute of Food & Wine and had contributed to events offered by the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). He was named in the "Who's Who of Food & Beverage" in 1994 by the James Beard Foundation, and was given the Foundation's highest recognition, the Lifetime Achievement Award, in 1995. Williams was inducted into the Halls of Fame for the Culinary Institute of America and the Direct Marketing Association. Philanthropy After Williams' death, his estate donated Williams' nearly 4,000-piece collection of cookware to create the Chuck Williams Culinary Arts Museum, operated by the Culinary Institute of America. References External links Williams-Sonoma corporate site 1915 births 2015 deaths Retail company founders Williams-Sonoma people American company founders American centenarians People from Jacksonville, Florida People from Sonoma, California Businesspeople from Florida Businesspeople from California American food writers 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American non-fiction writers Writers from California Writers from Florida 20th-century American male writers James Beard Foundation Award winners American male non-fiction writers Men centenarians American Freemasons