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| successor = Vernon A. Guidry Jr.
| birth_name = Louis Alan Williams<ref>{{citation|title=Nominations before the Senate Armed Services Committee, first session, 101st Congress|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=huK-Tl79fYIC&q=%22Louis+alan+pete+williams%22|page=350|publisher= [[United States Government Printing Office|U.S. Government Printing Office]]|year=1990}}</ref>
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1952|2|28|mf=yes}}<ref name="NYT 1991">{{cite
| birth_place = [[Casper, Wyoming
| alma_mater = [[Stanford University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
| occupation = [[Journalist]], [[spokesperson]]
| spouse =
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}}
[[File:Pete Williams at a press conference, January 1991.jpg|thumb|Pete Williams as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs at a press briefing, 1991]]
'''Louis Alan''' "'''Pete'''" '''Williams''' (born February 28, 1952) is
Williams was raised in [[Casper, Wyoming]]
In 1986, Williams became press secretary for [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]] [[Dick Cheney]] and followed Cheney to the [[United States Department of Defense]] as Cheney became [[United States Secretary of Defense]] to be the [[Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs]] in 1989 during the [[George H. W. Bush]] administration.
Williams became a correspondent for [[NBC News]] in late March 1993,<ref>"People." ''(Olympia WA) Morning Olympian'', March 19, 1993, p. 8.</ref> after leaving the Defense Department
==Early life and education==
Pete Williams was born and raised in [[Casper, Wyoming]], where his mother, "Bennie," was a teacher and later a realtor, and his father, Louis, was a dentist. He was one of three children.<ref>"L.J. 'Bennie' Williams." ''Casper (WY) Star-Tribune'', November 25, 2011, p. 5.</ref> Williams graduated from [[Natrona County High School]]—coincidentally, the same high school as his fellow [[Presidency of George W. Bush|Bush
Williams graduated from [[Stanford University]] in 1974.<ref name="nomination">{{cite web|author=Bush, George H.W.|url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=16991|title=Nomination of Louis A. Williams to Be an Assistant Secretary of Defense|
==Career==
===Early journalism career===
From 1974 to 1985, Williams was a reporter and news director for the Casper-based [[KTWO-TV|KTWO television]] and [[KTWO (AM)|KTWO radio]] stations.<ref name="NBC">{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3689493/|title=Pete Williams|date=December 12, 2003 |publisher= [[NBC News]]|access-date=June 6, 2013}}</ref> Williams also served as director for the Wyoming Future Project from 1985 to 1986.<ref name="NYT 1991"/>
===Press secretary===
In 1986, Williams was hired as [[press secretary]] and legislative assistant
While serving as a [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]] spokesperson, he was accused of allegedly working to cover up the large-scale irregular military activities that had occurred during the US invasion of [[Panama]] under the pretense of apprehending Panamanian [[dictator]] [[Manuel Noriega]], which was later featured in the documentary film ''[[The Panama Deception]]'' (1992).<ref>{{
===Later journalism career===
[[File:Pete Williams at SCOTUS.jpg|thumb|right|Williams prepares a report in front of the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] in 2012.]]
Williams was [[outing|outed]] as [[gay]] in 1991 by journalist and activist [[Michelangelo Signorile]]. When pressed by reporters, Cheney refused to dismiss Williams (a civilian employee) despite the department's then-ban on [[LGBT]] members of the military. Cheney also implied his opposition to the ban.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Johnston|first=Erica|date=October 3, 2014|title=Meet two activists who brought sweeping change to the gay rights movement|
[[NBC News]] hired Williams in March 1993 as justice correspondent based in [[Washington, D. C.]], to cover news from the [[United States Department of Justice|U.S. Department of Justice]] and the [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]].<ref name="NBC"/>
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During the [[Bosnian War]], Williams initially denied that there was any evidence of [[genocide]] or [[war crime]]s, claiming that "we do not see evidence of a program of systematic or massive killing of innocent people". A video clip of the actual statement is featured in the 1997 film ''[[Welcome to Sarajevo]]''.<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/4792/year/1997.html |title=Festival de Cannes: Welcome to Sarajevo |access-date=April 4, 2016|work=festival-cannes.com}}</ref>
As NBC justice correspondent, Williams has interviewed United States Attorneys General [[John Ashcroft]],<ref>{{cite web|author=Williams, Pete|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3032619/#34025785|title=Ashcroft: Holder lacks authority to order terror trials|publisher= [[NBC News]] |date=November 18, 2009|access-date=June 6, 2013}}</ref> [[Alberto Gonzales]],<ref>{{cite web|author=Williams, Pete|title=Gonzales: Firings were not improper|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/17801927/ns/nbcnightlynews/t/gonzales-firings-were-not-improper/| publisher = [[NBC News]] |access-date=June 6, 2013|date=March 27, 2007}}</ref> and [[Eric Holder]],<ref>{{cite web|author=Williams, Pete|title=Holder says he has no intention of stepping down|url=http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/05/18781813-holder-says-he-has-no-intention-of-stepping-down|access-date=June 6, 2013| publisher = [[NBC News]]|date=June 5, 2013}}</ref> as well as [[Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI Director]] [[Christopher A. Wray|Christopher Wray]].<ref>{{
In covering the [[Boston Marathon bombing]] for [[MSNBC]] and NBC News, Williams earned praise from various media analysts for choosing to report events in a restrained, cautionary fashion. In contrast with the [[Associated Press]] and [[CNN]], Williams refused to report a later-retracted claim that the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] had arrested a suspect for the bombing.<ref>{{cite news|last=Freedlander|first=David|title=NBC, Today Show Get Boston Marathon Bombing Coverage Right|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/04/20/nbc-today-show-get-boston-marathon-bombing-coverage-right.html|work= [[The Daily Beast]]|access-date=June 6, 2013|date=April 20, 2013}}</ref> For ''[[Politico]]'', [[Dylan Byers]] commented: "On a major story that has been defined by inaccurate and conflicting reports and wild speculation, Williams has been calm, diligent and correct."<ref>{{cite web|last=Byers|first=Dylan|title=Pete Williams and the threat to CNN|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2013/04/pete-williams-and-the-threat-to-cnn-162096.html| publisher = Dylan Byers on Media (blog of [[Politico]]) |access-date=June 6, 2013|date=April 19, 2013}}</ref> Brian Resnick of the ''[[National Journal]]'' wrote that Williams showed "restraint in not jumping too far into conclusions."<ref>{{cite web|last=Resnick|first=Brian|title=Pete Williams' Reporting Philosophy, And Why He's Getting Boston Right|url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/domesticpolicy/pete-williams-reporting-philosophy-and-why-he-s-getting-boston-right-20130419|work=[[National Journal]]|access-date=June 6, 2013|date=April 19, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611164027/http://www.nationaljournal.com/domesticpolicy/pete-williams-reporting-philosophy-and-why-he-s-getting-boston-right-20130419|archive-date=June 11, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The phrase "NBC's Pete Williams" became a trending topic in the overnight hours of April 19, 2013.<ref>
In covering the [[April 2021 United States Capitol car attack]], Pete Williams claimed the assailant was a "White Man" before any knowledge of the driver was released by authorities. He did not retract his statement. "The question now is, what’s the condition of the Capitol Police officers who were injured when the man -- we’re told it was a White male that was driving the car -- when the man got out of the car and attacked the police officers with a knife," Williams told MSNBC anchor Katy Tur. The assailant turned out to be Noah Green, a mentally ill Black man who was a self-described "follower of [[Louis Farrakhan|[Louis] Farrakhan]]".<ref>{{cite news|first1=Nicholas|last1=Fandos|authorlink1=Nicholas Fandos|first2=Zolan|last2=Kanno-Youngs|first3=Giulia McDonnell|last3=Nieto del Rio|first4=Aishvarya|last4=Kavi|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/03/us/politics/capitol-suspect-noah-green.html|title=Capitol Suspect Struggled Before Attack, but Motive Remains Unclear|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 3, 2021|accessdate=October 4, 2021}}</ref>
Williams announced his retirement on Friday, July 29, 2022, during the [[Today (American TV program)|Today Show]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Pete Williams retires after nearly 30 years at NBC: 'Absolutely the gold standard' |url=https://www.today.com/news/news/today-celebrates-pete-williams-retirement-nearly-30-years-nbc-rcna40594 |access-date=2022-07-29 |website=TODAY.com |date=July 29, 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
===Awards===
Williams has received three national news Emmy awards.<ref>"NBC News Correspondent and Casper Native Pete Williams to Deliver 2017 Annual Banquet Keynote." Wyoming State Bar Association website. [https://www.wyomingbar.org/nbc-news-correspondent-and-casper-native-pete-williams-to-deliver-2017-annual-banquet-keynote/]</ref>
In 2012, the University of Wyoming awarded Williams an honorary Doctor of Letters, in recognition of his many contributions to journalism. He was praised for his "sound judgment, fair mindedness, impeccable ethics, and dedication to service."<ref>"Pete Williams, Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.)" University of Wyoming website, [http://www.uwyo.edu/honorarydegree/past_honorary_degree_recepients/2012%20honorary%20degree%20recipients/pete%20williams.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703084200/http://www.uwyo.edu/honorarydegree/past_honorary_degree_recepients/2012%20honorary%20degree%20recipients/pete%20williams.html |date=July 3, 2022 }}</ref>
Williams was named the recipient of the 2018 John F. Hogan Award, presented annually by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA). The Hogan Award, named after the association's first president, is given in recognition of "an individual's contributions to the journalism profession and freedom of the press..." Williams was chosen because "...Over the course of his distinguished career, Pete Williams has served the public first as a government spokesman and then, for the last 25 years, as a reporter covering government,” said Scott Libin, current Chair of RTDNA. "His insight and understanding of power and politics have proven hugely valuable to the viewers of NBC News."<ref>"Pete Williams to Receive 2018 John F. Hogan Award for His Contributions to Journalism and Freedom of the Press." Radio Television Digital News Association website, June 5, 2018. [https://rtdna.org/article/pete_williams_to_receive_2018_john_f_hogan_award_for_his_contributions_to_journalism_and_freedom_of_the_press] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202192208/https://www.rtdna.org/article/pete_williams_to_receive_2018_john_f_hogan_award_for_his_contributions_to_journalism_and_freedom_of_the_press |date=December 2, 2022 }}</ref>
==References==
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==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0931462|Pete Williams}}
* [https://www.nbcumv.com/talent/pete-williams/bios_read_more NBC News Bio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717212749/https://www.nbcumv.com/talent/pete-williams/bios_read_more |date=July 17, 2018 }}
* {{C-SPAN|
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130625204146/http://wyomingpbs.org/programming/viewprogram.php?id=3379&aid=6333 Pete Williams] interview on [[Wyoming PBS]] program ''Wyoming Chronicle''
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