Video by Pam Stevenson, Agave Productions Inc., for Historical League
John “Jack” R. Williams was governor of Arizona from 1967 to 1975. Jack was born October 29, 1909 to parents living in Ashfork, Arizona. His mother went to Los Angeles, California for his birth, but immediately returned to Arizona where Jack spent his childhood and youth.
After graduating from Phoenix Union High School and Phoenix Junior College, in 1929, he joined the staff of Radio Station KOY. First employed as an errand boy, Governor Williams eventually ended up owning the station. For more than forty years, his voice was one of the most familiar in Arizona, opening his daily commentary with, “It’s another beautiful day in Arizona, leave us all enjoy it.”
In the early 1920s, Jack Williams lost an eye to cancer, and was treated by Dr. Marie Curie, Nobel Prize winner, during her visit to the United States. Undeterred by this handicap, he believed in hard work and initiative to accomplish his goals. He entered the community arena serving on school boards. He continued serving as a lay leader in the Episcopal Church; as vice president of Phoenix Housing Authority from 1944-1947; and as president of the Phoenix Junior Chamber of Commerce. In 1946, he became a member of the Phoenix City Council, and served two terms as the mayor of Phoenix from 1956-1960.
Jack William's victory on the Republican ticket for governor of Arizona came in 1966. Concentrating on orderly growth for the state, he was twice elected for two-year terms, after which he was elected governor for Arizona's first four-year term. Governor Williams served from 1967-1975.