Charles E. Williams

Philanthropy that changes lives

Our newest imaging equipment —the Charles E. Williams PET/CT Scanner— was officially unveiled and dedicated on June 19, 2007. The PET/CT Scanner monitors tumors with pinpoint precision, allowing clinicians to quickly assess a tumor’s response to treatment.

Mr. Williams, the businessman who founded the Williams-Sonoma cooking empire, originally sought treatment on what is now our California Campus back in the ’50s, and has been a generous and faithful CPMC donor ever since.

Williams is well known as the founder of William-Sonoma, which grew from a hardware turned-French cookware store in Sonoma, California to one of the country’s best loved lifestyle empires, encompassing 300 stores and such brands as Pottery Barn and Hold Everything.

However, here at California Pacific Medical Center, we know another side of Chuck Williams: that of the generous and insightful philanthropist whose experiences at our hospital nearly a half century ago planted a seed for his $2.4 million gift made in 2004. Mr. Williams’ gift allowed for the purchase of a Positive Emission Tomography-Computer Tomography (PET-CT) Scanner. The Foundation honored Mr. Williams as Outstanding Individual Donor, Circles of Giving 2004.

Because life is precious, we encourage giving to life and a lifetime of giving.