Williams, Pat, 1937-

John Patrick Williams was born in Helena on October 30, 1937. He attended Montana State University (now The University of Montana--Missoula) from 1956-1957 and received his bachelor's degree from the University of Denver in 1961. He served in the Colorado and Montana National Guards from 1961 to 1969 and taught high school in Butte from 1963 to 1969. In 1966, he was elected to the Montana State House of Representative for the 1967 session. He became executive assistant to U. S. Representative John Melcher of Montana in 1969. He maintained that position during John Melcher's first term, 1969-1971. He was a member of the Montana Governor's Employment and Training Council from 1972-1978 and a member of the Montana Reapportionment Commission for 1972-1973.

Williams was first elected to the U.S. House of Representative in 1978 and served the people of Montana in the House from 1979 to 1997. In his last two terms, 1993-1997, he represented the entire state after Montana's previous two congressional districts were combined due to national reapportionment. In 1985, he was appointed as deputy whip of the House Democratic Leadership. He chaired several committees, including the Higher Education Committee. During his tenure in the U. S. House of Representatives, Williams served on the Education, Labor, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and House Budget committees. His tenure in office is noted for his activism on behalf of education, libraries, Native American tribal sovereignty, the National Endowments for the Arts and for the Humanities, worker's concerns, wilderness protection, and environmental integrity for the future of the Western states.

...