35 Facts About Iola Williams

Iola M Williams was an American politician, public official, civil rights activist and museum executive.

In 1979, Williams became the first African-American to join the San Jose City Council, an office she held from her appointment in 1979 until her retirement from council in 1991.

Iola Williams was instrumental in the creation of the African American Military History Museum in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, as the institution's former executive director.

Iola Williams saved the museum's original, existing structure, which had opened in 1942 as a USO Club for African American soldiers stationed at nearby Camp Shelby during World War II.

Iola Williams attended the Eureka School in Hattiesburg, the first brick black school building constructed in the state of Mississippi during segregation.

George Iola Williams eventually rose to the rank of master sergeant during his career.

In 1966, while Iola Williams was living overseas, the Ku Klux Klan attacked and fire bombed the home of her cousin, Vernon Dahmer, who had been using his grocery store to help black residents of Hattiesburg register to vote.

At this point, Iola Williams had studied to become a licensed vocational nurse and began work at O'Connor Hospital in San Jose.

In 1970, Iola Williams became the first African-American to be elected to the Franklin-McKinley School District school board, which covers a portion of the city of San Jose.

Iola Williams served on the school board from 1970 until her appointment to the San Jose City Council in 1979.

Iola Williams credited the rise of other female politicians in Santa Clara County with helping her enter politics and navigate the political landscape during the 1970s.

Iola Williams began her public career by serving on the Franklin-McKinley School District school board, which covers a portion of the city of San Jose, California, for 12 years, until her appointment to the San Jose City Council in 1979.

Iola Williams was elected to her first full term in 1980.

Iola Williams served on the city council from 1979 until her retirement in 1991, including two simultaneous terms as the Vice Mayor of San Jose.

In 1980, shortly after joining city council, Williams received and completed a United States Department of Housing and Urban Development fellowship to the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Iola Williams was known as a champion for minority and women's rights during her tenure on city council.

Iola Williams said that her cousin had died for those civil rights.

Iola Williams focused on San Jose's neighborhoods and local services.

Iola Williams cast a deciding vote to keep the city's 10th and 11th as one-way streets due to traffic concerns and the safety of pedestrians.

Iola Williams achieved influential positions in California's state politics as well.

Iola Williams was elected president of the League of California Cities, a nonpartisan association of state city officials.

Iola Williams served on the League's human resource committee, as well as the organization's board of directors, which represents California cities in both the Governor's Office of Planning and Research Council and state Task Force on Civil Rights.

Iola Williams served in leadership roles within the statewide California Democratic Party.

Iola Williams can be credited with saving the life of her 17 year old neighbor, from committing suicide, when he was suffering from an internal crisis.

Iola Williams insisted that the incident receive no media coverage to protect the young man and his family.

In 1991, Iola Williams decided not to seek re-election and retired from the San Jose City Council.

Iola Williams's husband retired from his position as an airline mechanic in the early 1990s.

Once back in her hometown, Iola Williams would become deeply involved with a number of local, government, economic development, and community organizations.

Revenue from the Hattiesburg Convention Commission was allocated to Iola Williams' proposed museum at the USO club.

Iola Williams was the black nurse at the health department clinic.

Iola Williams was one of the most uninhibited persons I have ever known.

Iola Williams served as a Hattiesburg Convention Commission commissioner from 2004 until 2014 for three terms.

Iola and George Williams established a lunch program for local Mississippi senior citizens who had been impacted by Hurricane Katrina in 2006.

Iola Williams died from Parkinson's disease in Lampasas on April 4,2019, at the age of 83.

Iola Williams was survived by her husband, George, seven children, seventeen grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.