QUESTIONS; TONY WILLIAMS.

Tony Williams is no stranger to firsts. In October, before becoming the first black Minneapolis postmaster, he held the top postal position in St. Paul. A married father of four kids, Williams, 45, is seeking another first: his college degree next spring.
What happened in college?
I went to the University of Minnesota and dropped out. Now I'm three classes short of my business degree. I should graduate (from the College of St. Scholastica's St. Paul campus).
What is the job of a postmaster?
This is an executive position, unlike the St. Paul postmaster, which is a very high-level managerial job. Minneapolis is the 13th-largest mail delivery operation in the nation. I oversee operations at 33 post offices, and supervise about 2,000 employees.
We deliver between 3.5 million to 4 million pieces of mail a day.
How busy is the holiday season?
We handle about 200 times the normal amount than we do the rest of the year. The Internet has taken away some of our business, but they can't deliver all the Christmas cards and gifts.
Do you like this time of the year?
The best part is the spirit of giving. Now, it's totally the opposite around April 15 [tax time] because everybody's all crabby because they have to write a check to Uncle Sam.
How long were you a letter carrier?
Four and a half years, over in the Rice Street area in St. Paul. I actually enjoyed carrying the mail. I was in the best shape of my life, walking five, six, seven miles a day. It was great.
What's the coldest day you ever delivered mail?
I think the windchill was 25 to 30 below zero. It was in 1981, and I almost walked off the job that day. I was in a truck that had no heat and my fingertips were freezing. I told a co-worker, "This isn't for me." He said, "Aw, it's not so bad. You'll make it." He let me borrow his truck and helped me deliver my mail, and the rest is history. That guy helped me, and I'll never forget it.
Explain the significance of being the first black postmaster in Minneapolis, especially without a degree.
I believe that for a minority, a degree is one less obstacle that can keep you from getting a job. Having a degree or some sort of college education today is becoming a minimum requirement to get a job, whereas that wasn't the case 15 or 20 years ago. Today, many of the assembly-line-level jobs are being replaced through automation. If I were still young, I'd get as much education as possible.
Where do you think you got your strong interpersonal skills?
To tell you the truth, I think I got it from my father. He's a black man who told us if we ever wanted anything out of life that we had to work for it, treat people the way you want to be treated. And when we've been afforded an opportunity, we have to create five times that amount for five other people so that you're doing for others instead of always taking. I want to help put others in a similar position where they can learn about what pitfalls to avoid. I've lived in the projects and the suburbs. I've run with the rich and the poor. I know people, both black and white. I've seen a lot, and I think my experiences have helped me relate to people.
Ever been bitten by a dog?
Yes! 1982. [On] Cottage Avenue in St. Paul. It was a big ol' German shepherd, and he was a mean one, too. I don't know how he missed, but he tore a hole this big [puts hands together to form a baseball-sized sphere] in my sock just as I moved my leg away. Hard to forget that.