Pete Williams

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."

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. Williams graduated from Natrona County High School–coincidentally, the same high school as his fellow Bush Administration alumnus Dick Cheney–in 1970. He was a member of his high school's award-winning debating team, and also won an award for public speaking. He was also active in his school's Teenage Republicans club, and a member of the National Honor Society.

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."

During the Bosnian War, Williams initially denied that there was any evidence of genocide or war crimes, 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.

Williams became a correspondent for NBC News in late March 1993, after leaving the Defense Department; his main areas of news coverage for NBC include the Department of Justice and Supreme Court.

While serving as a 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).

Williams was outed as gay in 1991 by journalist and activist Michelangelo Signorile. When pressed by reporters, Secretary Cheney refused to dismiss Williams despite the then-ban on LGBT members of the military. Cheney also implied his opposition to the ban.

In 1986, Williams became press secretary for 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 was raised in Casper, Wyoming; his mother was a realtor and his father was an orthodontist. "Pete" is a nickname he has used since childhood. After he graduated from Stanford University, where he had originally studied engineering but subsequently changed to journalism, he began his career in local news with the Casper, Wyoming, television station KTWO and its eponymous radio station in 1974.

Pete Williams was born on February 28, 1952 in Casper, Wyoming, USA as Louis Alan Williams.