About Tweet

Raymond “Tweet” Williams Sr. (June 16, 1926 – August 11, 2025) devoted nearly a century to shaping excellence in athletics, academics, and community service. A son of Atlanta’s historic Summerhill neighborhood, Williams graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1944, where he walked the halls alongside classmate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His athletic journey began even earlier—as a boy water boy at Clark College practices—foreshadowing a lifelong bond with the institution that would later become Clark Atlanta University (CAU).

At Clark College, Williams lettered in football, basketball, and track, serving as team captain in all three sports and earning All-City and All-SIAC honors. He received his Bachelor’s degree in 1949 and later a Master’s degree in Administration and Supervision from Atlanta University in 1974. He was initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Eta Lambda Chapter, and eventually enshrined in multiple halls of fame, including Clark Atlanta University, SIAC, MEAC, and the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame.

Coach Williams began his career at Hubbard Training School in Forsyth, Georgia, before joining Atlanta Public Schools. At H.M. Turner High School, he coached for 18 years, leading his Turner Wolves to the 1954 Georgia Interscholastic Association (GIA) Class AA state football championship. He later mentored countless athletes, often remarking that Booker T. Washington’s quarterback Silas Jamison was the finest athlete of that era. Williams also served as teacher, department chair, athletic director, assistant principal, and principal at numerous APS schools, leaving an indelible mark on Atlanta’s educational system.

In 1991, Williams made history again as the first Athletic Director of Clark Atlanta University, guiding the athletic program through its formative years. He also spent decades as a respected NCAA football and basketball official, earning distinction as part of the first all-Black officiating crew for an NCAA playoff game. Beyond athletics, he served in leadership roles with the Butler Street YMCA, the Atlanta Bureau of Parks and Recreation, the Atlanta Braves, and even as Assistant Venue Security Manager for the 1996 Olympic Games.

Throughout his life, Williams received countless awards, including Teacher of the Year, Coach of the Year (three times), Men’s Basketball Official of the Year (1983), the Claude C. George “Legend in Coaching” Award (2002), the Atlanta Daily World Humanitarian Award (1973), and CAU’s Unsung Hero Award (2009). Booker T. Washington High School further cemented his legacy in 2024 by dedicating the Raymond “Tweet” Williams Fieldhouse.

A mentor, educator, and champion for truth, Williams was featured in the acclaimed documentary As If We Were Ghosts, ensuring that the stories of Black athletes and coaches in Georgia would never be forgotten. His voice reminded the state that history is incomplete until all are counted.

Coach Williams’ legacy continues through the Raymond “Tweet” Williams Foundation, dedicated to uplifting students, athletes, coaches, and officials by providing resources, training, and opportunities. His life’s work—lifting others through character, scholarship, and service—remains the guiding spirit of the foundation.