Windom attended several colleges, both before and after serving in World War II. They include: Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts; The Citadel, Charleston, South Carolina; University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky; Fordham University, Bronx, New York; and Columbia University, New York, New York.
William's kindergarten teacher was Margaret Hamilton, who would later become an actress, most famous for playing the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz.
William Windom: (on the movie, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. ) That was fun. They would put Darryl Hannah up on a Platform 50 feet in the air and film over her shoulder to give her the perspective of height. I was down below so it looked like she was a giant. It wasn't a very good movie, but fun to do.
William Windom: (on Clint Eastwood) A real softy. He's nothing like his on-screen persona in real life. Just a great guy. I've played tennis with him on many occasions. Clint can't play very well, so I like playing against him. He used to have his own tennis tournament. Always like to play against him. He is great to work for. I just did one movie with him ["True Crime"]. Small part, played the bartender.