Stanley Williams

Stanley Tookie Williams III (December 29, 1953 – December 13, 2005) was one of the early leaders in the West Side Crips, an American street gang which has its roots in South Central Los Angeles in 1969. Once incarcerated, he authored several books, including anti-gang and anti-violence literature and children's books.

On December 13, 2005, Williams was executed by lethal injection after clemency and a four-week stay of execution were both rejected by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, amid debate over the death penalty. Williams was the second inmate in California to be executed in 2005.

Childhood

Stanley Williams was born December 29, 1953 in Shreveport, Louisiana to a 17-year-old mother. His father abandoned the family when Williams was just a year old. In 1959, Williams moved with his mother from Rayville, Louisiana to Los Angeles, California by a Greyhound Lines bus. His mother moved into a two-room apartment on the West Side of South Central Los Angeles.

As Williams' mother worked several jobs to support them, Williams was a latchkey kid and often engaged in mischief on the streets. Williams recalled that, as a child, he would hang out in abandoned houses and vacant lots around his neighborhood in South Central where he would watch adults get drunk, abuse drugs, gamble and engage in pit bull fights. Williams stated that after the adults finished the dog fighting they would make the children fight each other. Williams participated in these street fights regularly as a child where adults would bet on him and give him part of the proceeds for winning his fights. Williams was often the target of older bullies in his neighborhood and, by the age of twelve, he began carrying a switchblade in order to protect himself against older street thugs.

Stanley Williams (rugby union)

Stanley Williams DSO (2 November 1886 – 30 April 1936) was a Welsh rugby union fullback who played club rugby for Newport. He won 4 caps for England and was selected for the British Lions 1910 tour of South Africa, in which he played in all three test games.

Rugby career

Williams first played for Newport in 1901 and was part of the team that faced the touring 1908 Australians. Whilst with Newport he had several trials with Wales and was at one stage selected as a reserve for the team, but was never officially selected to represent his birth country. In 1910 Williams was one of five Newport players chosen to represent the British Isles on their tour of South Africa. Williams played in all three test matches.

When the English rugby union invoked Newport's rugby union membership Williams switched his international allegiance to England. Williams was first capped for England on 21 January 1911 when he played against Wales at St Helens. England lost the match 11-15, but in the second game of the Championship Williams finished on the winning side when the English team crushed France 37-0. Williams played in the next two games for England when they lost in tight game to Ireland and beat Scotland to leave them with the Wooden Spoon.

Stanley Williams (ballet)

Stanley Williams (1925–1997) was a dancer and, later, a renowned ballet instructor.

Early days

Stanley Williams was born in England but grew up in Copenhagen, and was enrolled at the Royal Danish School of Ballet. His instruction was steeped in the Bournonville tradition, training with Harald Lander, although he also studied with Vera Volkova, a disciple of Agrippina Vaganova. In 1943, Williams joined the Royal Danish Ballet, becoming a principal dancer six years later, and by 1950 he had begun teaching at the Royal Danish School of Ballet in Copenhagen.

In the 1950s, Stanley Williams was performing as a principal dancer with George Krista's Ballet Comique in London, where he also stood as balletmaster.

By 1964, Williams's reputation had reached George Balanchine, who invited him to instruct at the School of American Ballet in New York City.

New York

From 1964 until his death in 1997, Stanley Williams was first among instructors at the School of American Ballet. As a teacher, he was soft-spoken.