Hosea Williams, a top aide to the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., died from an infection related to his treatment of kidney and prostate cancer on Nov. 16 in Atlanta�s Piedmont Hospital.

President Clinton, in a press statement released while on his first trip to Vietnam, hailed Mr. Williams, 74, for his "bravery in the fields of battle in World War II, to his leadership in the civil rights struggle at home, Hosea Williams was a profile in courage."

Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a comrade of Mr. Williams, told the media, "He was a fighter, not just someone to talk, but he was a doer."

One of Mr. Williams� last public appearances was at the reenactment of the historic Selma to Montgomery, Ala., voting rights march with Rep. Lewis, Mrs. Coretta Scott King and President Clinton in March of this year.

As an advocate of Dr. King�s nonviolent protest movement, Mr. Williams was often sent by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in advance of marches and demonstrations organized across the south, in the fight to sway public opinion to support laws granting Blacks public accommodations and voting rights.

Unlike his contemporaries, Mr. Williams was born in poverty in Attaplulgus, Ga., on Jan. 5, 1926. He served as a staff sergeant in World War II and later received a degree in chemistry from Atlanta�s Morris Brown College. In addition to his civil rights work, he held elective office in local and state government in Georgia.

According to the late Rev. Ralph David Abernathy�s memoir, "And The Walls Came Tumbling Down," "Hosea Williams was the leader of the southeastern caravan" that came to Washington, D.C. for the historic Poor People�s March in 1968.

After Mr. Abernathy withdrew from the leadership of the SCLC, Mr. Williams was expected by many to be its next leader. However, "Joseph Lowery promised that if Williams would step aside and allow Lowery to be made permanent president, Lowery would immediately appoint Williams executive director, a paid position," Mr. Abernathy wrote. "Williams withdrew, Lowery was elected, and indeed Williams became executive director�for a few months. Before the year was over, Lowery had fired him."

In spiritual affairs he was pastor of King�s People�s Church of Love, Inc., and founded a charity that dispensed free food on the holidays to the poor. His only surviving child, Elizabeth Williams Omilami, told reporters the charity work will continue. Her father also operated a chemical company that specialized in cleaning supplies and ran a bonding company.

In 1987, Mr. Williams led a march on Forsyth County, Ga., in protest of blatant segregation and was attacked by white mobs. He returned later to the county and conducted a peaceful march that received national attention.

In 1997, doctors diagnosed his prostate cancer and two years later kidney cancer was found. In recent years, Mr. Williams had undergone chemotherapy.

At Final Call press time, his funeral had been scheduled for Nov. 21 at Atlanta�s Ebenezer Baptist Church, where his late mentor Dr. King was pastor.

Mr. Williams� wife, Juanita, 75, died in August of anemia and his son, Hosea II, 43, died in 1998 of leukemia.

�Donald Muhammad