Ronald (Ron) Williams

Belive it or not, I turned down a scholarship to study Law at Dartmouth College and intead chose to volunteer for service in the Army 1960. Recieved Military Police Training (MP)at the US Army Provost Marschal School in Ft. Gordon, Georgia. Then stationed in Virginia as a member ( the only African-American !) in the 521st MP Company at Ft. Belvoir. because of extreme racial harassment and threats both verbal and physical from the white members of my unit, I was able (with help from my Congressman from California!)to transfer from the MP's and get retrained as an Information Specialist and Print Journalist. Staioned in Stuttgart, Germany as Radio Announcer and Print Journalist for The Army's Stars And Stripes Newspaper and The Overseas Weekly. After my discharge in 1963 I decided to remain in Europe for another year before coming home. My desire to know more about " the Germans" and their amazing but troubled history made me stay here and I was soon " discovered" by a musicians, theater, TV (the first African-American to have his own series ('84-'01) in German speaking Europe) and Film producers and to have become a "household name" for many. ( '65 - '85 )as a Political Satirist (the first and only(!) American to do so), singer and actor. First cast member '68 - '70 of the Tribal Musical HAIR ( "Hud".. "I'm a Colored Spade!") Directed HAIR 1971 - 1972) Worked as an actor in Edinborough, Scotland, in London ( The Black Theater of Brixton, and throughout Europe as a member of Rick Cluchey's San Quentin Drama Workshop. In seven One-Man-Shows ('76 - '85 )Appeared in over 800 TV productions. 320 TV productions of my own and have been able to introduce to German speaking theater audiences, also in Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein, stage productions based on the lives of men like Dr. King, Mandela, Ray Charles, Harry Belafonte, and in 2015, "Uncle Tom's Cabin - Reloaded". By not accepting the scholarship offer to Dartmouth way back after leaving Tech I was able to embark on a lifes's journey that has been much richer and more rewarding than any career as a Lawyer could have ever become.

Tech was an turning point in my life. It was the first school that I really enjoyed attending. Why? Until then I'd had a pretty troubled childhood. From the age of 5 til 18 I was a Ward of the State of California. Due to disruptive family politics I'd spent my childhood from 5 til' 16 mostly in Foster Homes. At Tech I discovered my potential and value as a person. Tech had a good Principal, I think his name was Mr. Harmon. A very good Music Department teacher Mr. Smith(?) who's classes I loved. I was promoted to Captain and Company Commander of the ROTC ( Reserve Army Training Corps)Unit at Tech, won the Dad's Club Award for Tech as a performer up against the other Oakland High Schools. I had great friends and the school spirit was good regardless of the fact that the BullDogs hardly ever (!!) prevailed against McClymonds or Oakland High....I was elected as Oliver Brown's Student Body Vice- President in 1960, and voted by my class as " The One Most Likely to Succeed"... or something like that...lol!!! Oh, you guys forgot something in the School History 1960. We had a visit from one of the major TV Networks and if I remeber correctly, Lowell Thomas, one of radio and TV's famous "Talking Heads", because Tech had been chosen one of best College Preparatory High Schools in the Nation. I think we were number 3!! I still have a black and white video tape of that broadcast of our full Auditorium singing our School Song... With me visible on camera for brief second!!