The Williams School is located in New London, Connecticut, midway between New York and Boston. The city is on the Connecticut shoreline, an area providing many recreational and cultural opportunities. The school opened in 1891 as Williams Memorial Institute (WMI), which remains the legal name of the school. It was privately endowed by a bequest of real estate and personal property from the estate of Harriet Peck Williams as a memorial to her son, Thomas W. Williams.

For more on Williams' founding family, see the alumni magazine article by music teacher and history enthusiast Peter Emanuel. Using a faculty grant he researched the founding family and shared his findings at a student assembly and in the Ambassador.

WMI served as the high school for girls of New London and several surrounding towns. Tuition for attending students was paid by the City of New London and other towns. With the opening of New London High School in 1951, the school enrollment decreased, and the program became college preparatory rather than comprehensive. In 1954, the school moved to its present location on the Connecticut College campus. A middle school was added in 1955. In 1971, the school became coeducational. The school remains a day school and the present student population of approximately 315 students historically draws from more than 45 communities.

The Middle School consists of about 100 students in grades seven and eight. The course of study for the Middle School includes English, mathematics, world languages, Latin, history and science. The Enrichment Program for the Middle School offers courses in computer literacy, physical education, drama, visual art, music and dance. Students in the Upper School choose courses from offerings in English, mathematics, modern and classical languages, history, science, drama, dance, music, visual art and physical education. Qualified senior students may take courses at Connecticut College.

The school contains twenty classrooms (including state-of-the-art science laboratories), two gymnasiums, the Dayharsh Fitness Center, Daren Performing Arts Center, Drama Studio, digital imaging lab, library/media center, Math and English Smart Rooms, computer labs, Weissman Student Center and the Williams Room, an area used for receptions, gatherings, and classes. The Head of School administers the school and a 25 member Board of Trustees establishes broad policies and oversees the financial health of the institution. Membership on the Board of Trustees includes a representative from Connecticut College, the President of the Parents Association, the President of the Alumni Association and the Head of School.

The school is privately endowed and supported by annual tuition.

The former home of Williams Memorial Institute now operates as one of the courthouses in the Connecticut State Judicial system, which includes archival postcard images and a brief history on its website at http://www.jud.ct.gov/external/kids/history/postcards/NL-GA.htm.