Seth Williams was elected Philadelphia's first black district attorney Nov. 3, and although he has come a long way since his days as president of Penn State's Undergraduate Student Government, he said he couldn't have done it without the Penn State experience.

Williams, Class of 1989, said he owes his new job to a simple principle he learned from his father, one he used at Penn State and has stuck to ever since: "Unless you're willing to be part of the solution, you forfeit your right to complain."

Thomas Poole, a former professor of Williams' and now vice president for administration, said Williams embodied that principle at Penn State. The people who knew him at the university remember his ability to bridge differences, he said.

"Seth doesn't just talk about the need for change -- he sets out to make it happen," he said. "He seemed to relate well to all sorts of people and displayed a knack for bringing various groups together."

At Penn State, Williams quickly showed his willingness to be part of the solution. He joined the Alphi Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., became president of Penn State's Black Caucus and was later elected president of the Undergraduate Student Government (USG).

But it wasn't always easy.

After Williams was elected president of USG, the Ku Klux Klan posted racist slurs about him around campus. He even received death threats.

The incidents never changed how much he loves the university, he said.

"I love Penn State," he said. "I just think back to when my father went to Penn State -- he wasn't allowed to live on campus or get his hair cut in the barbershop."

Williams' father was one of 12 black students attending Penn State in 1949 and was someone Williams always admired.

"My father was the biggest impact on my life," he said. "Even though he wanted me to be anything I wanted, I really just wanted to be him."

In 1989, Williams' senior year, protests erupted over the unwelcoming atmosphere for black students at Penn State.

Sit-ins were conducted at the Telecommunications Building until then-President Bryce Jordan promised to raise black attendance at Penn State to 8 percent.

Williams said the protests taught him to find similarities between people, rather than pointing out their differences. Finding common ground was what got him elected as district attorney, he said.

"Everybody wants to get the guns off the street," he said. "Everybody wants to get a good job and to be able to go home and be safe."

Williams said Penn State is a great university because it provides education for the middle class of Pennsylvania. He spent his time here making sure Penn State provided education for everybody, regardless of skin color or ethnicity.

"Penn State's mission is to provide an affordable and quality education for the working class," he said. "I wanted to help Penn State live up to its mission."

And Williams said Penn State has come a long way in accomplishing its mission since his father attended the university in 1949.

As Williams prepares to take office in January, he said the only other job he would want is president of Penn State.

"We all know why the sky is blue and white," he said.