Montel Brian Anthony Williams (born July 3, 1956) is an
American former
television personality and
television and
radio talk show host.
Early life
Williams was born in Baltimore, Maryland. As a resident of
Glen Burnie, Maryland, he was bused to predominantly white Andover High School in neighboring
Linthicum, Maryland where he was elected president of both his junior and senior classes. He was a good student, athlete and musician and active in county-wide student government issues in
Annapolis, Maryland.
[The Official Montel Williams Site] His father, Herman Williams, Jr., was a firefighter who in 1992 became Baltimore's first
African-American Fire Chief.
Career
Military career
Williams enlisted in the
United States Marine Corps in 1974 and completed his
recruit training at
MCRD Parris Island, South Carolina. While training at
Twentynine Palms, California, he was selected for training at the
Naval Academy Preparatory School. A year later, he was accepted into the
United States Naval Academy.
In 1980, he graduated with a degree in international security affairs. Upon graduation, Williams was commissioned as an
ensign in the
United States Navy, the first African–American enlisted Marine to complete and graduate both the Academy Prep School and Annapolis.
