 anthony allen "tony" williams (born july 28, 1951) is an american politician who served as the fifth mayor of the district of columbia for two terms, from 1999 to 2007. he had previously served as chief financial officer for the district, managing to balance the budget and achieve a surplus within two years of appointment. he held a variety of executive posts in cities and states around the country prior to his service in the d.c. government. ==early life, education and military service== williams, born on july 28, 1951, is the adopted son of virginia and lewis williams, and is one of seven children; lewis iv, virginia ii, carla, leif eric i, kimberly, and loris. williams attended loyola high school in los angeles, ca, and then santa clara college. there he became active in the anti-vietnam war movement as well as president of his sophomore class. but his academics suffered and he eventually left school. shortly thereafter he joined the air force. he volunteered for vietnam, but was kept in the country to work as an administrative aide. he sought an appointment to the united states air force academy but was instead sent to the academy's preparatory school because of his poor grades at santa clara. he excelled and earned an appointment to the academy. instead williams sought to leave the air force as a conscientious objector. he was given and honorable discharge in 1974. after that, he worked giving piano and clay sculpture and other tactile art lessons to blind children and counseling vietnam veterans in los angeles. in 1975, he enrolle
1951_births African-American_mayors American_adoptees Chief_financial_officers Columbia_University_alumni Harvard_Law_School_alumni Living_people Mayors_of_Washington,_D.C. Politicians_from_Los_Angeles,_California Santa_Clara_University_alumni United_States_Air_Force_airmen Washington,_D.C._Democrats Yale_University_alumni