Edward Bennett Williams was an American lawyer and businessman who co-founded the law firm of Williams & Connolly. He was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and received his undergraduate degree from the College of the Holy Cross before studying law at Georgetown University. Williams was the acting owner of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) from 1969 until 1974. He also served as treasurer of the Democratic National Committee from 1974 to 1977. Williams later owned the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1979 until his death.

The College of the Holy Cross is a private Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts. It was founded by educators Benedict Joseph Fenwick and Thomas F. Mulledy in 1843 under the auspices of the Society of Jesus. Holy Cross was the first Catholic college in New England and is among the oldest Catholic institutions of higher education in the United States.