Born in Castletown, Marshfield Parish, England, of Welsh parents. In youth spent several years as an apprentice stonemason in Liverpool, England. Came to America in 1870, and to Tehuacana in 1872.
In 1873 William Rees was given the contract for the construction of the wings of this stone building.
At that time, Trinity University (under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church) was short of funds. Because he had a love for the cause of higher education and a love for Trinity, Rees, a skilled craftsman, did much of the stonecutting -- a chore usually left to laborers.
Always interested in education, he was a member of the local board of education and in his turn its president. He was a staunch supporter of Trinity University, and later of Westminster college.
Dr. Beeson, first president of Trinity, performed the ceremony when on Jan. 3, 1875, Rees married Georgia Ann Sanders. They had six children.
The life of Rees proved the truth of the proverb: "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches." He was honest and humble, and had a keen appreciation for the finer things of life.
He is buried in the Tehuacana Cemetery. (1967)