Blanche Colton Williams would graduate II&C in Columbus, MS and teach in Natchez and Grenada for about 10 years before being granted a scholarship for graduate studies from her Alma Mater. She would leave for New York City to attend Columbia University and earn first an MA and then a PhD. She taught at Hunter College for 30 years, chaired the O'Henry and Opportunity Awards, authored multiple books, and hosted salons with fellow II&C alumni and faculty in New York City.